Indian deportees recall grueling ‘dunki’ route to US: ‘Crossed 17-18 hills, walked 40-45 kms’

The US C-17 military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants arived in Amritsar, marking the first batch of deportations under the Donald Trump administration’s strict immigration policies. One of the deportees among them, 36-year-old Jaspal Singh from Hardorwal village in Gurdaspur, Punjab, has shared his difficult journey.

While speaking to news agency PTI, Singh explained how he was deceived during his attempt to legally reach the US, which left him with no choice but to enter the country illegally.

He also shared that throughout the flight back to India, he and the other deportees had their hands and legs cuffed. The restraints were only removed once they arrived in Amritsar.

Singh said he was captured by the US Border Patrol on January 24.

‘Was forced to cross border illegally’ says Jaspal

Jaspal told the agency that he was deceived by a travel agent as he was promised that he would be sent to the US in a legal way. “I had asked the agent to send me through a proper visa. But he deceived me,” said Jaspal. He said that the deal was done at ₹30 lakh.

Jaspal claimed that he reached Brazil by air in July last year. He said he was promised that the next leg of journey, to the US, would be by air too. However, he was “cheated” by his agent, who forced him to cross the border illegally.

After staying for six months in Brazil, he crossed the border to the US, but was arrested by the US Border Patrol. He was kept there in custody for 11 days and then sent back home. Jaspal said he didn’t know he was being deported back to India and though he was being taken to another camp. “We thought we were being taken to another camp. Then a police officer told us that they were being taken to India.

“We were handcuffed and our legs were chained. These were opened at the Amritsar airport,” he claimed. Jaspal said he was shattered with deportation. “A huge sum was spent. The money was borrowed.”

‘Crossed hills, boat was about to capsize’, says deportee on harrowing journey to the US”

Two more deportees, who reached their home towns in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday night, also shared their ordeal they went through to reach the US.

Harwinder Singh, who hails from Tahli village in Hoshiarpur, said he left for the US in August last year. He was taken to Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and then Mexico. From Mexico, he along with others were taken to the US, he said.

“We crossed hills. A boat, which was taking him along with other persons, was about to capsize in the sea but we survived,” he told reporters.

He said he saw one person dying in the Panama jungle and one drowning in the sea. Singh said his travel agent had promised him that he would first be taken to Europe and then to Mexico. He said that he spent ₹42 lakh for his trip to the US. “Sometimes we got rice. Sometimes, we did not get anything to eat. We used to get biscuits,” he said.

‘15-hour-long boat ride, made to walk 40-45 kms’ says another deportee

Another deportee from Punjab spoke about the ‘donkey route’ used to take them to the US. While speaking to PTI, he they were first taken to Italy and then to Latin America. “Our clothes worth ₹30,000-35,000 were stolen on the way,” he said. He also mentioned enduring a 15-hour boat ride and walking 40-45 kilometers during the journey.

“We crossed 17-18 hills. If one slipped, then there would be no chance that he would survive… We have seen a lot. If anybody got injured, he was left to die. We saw dead bodies,” he said.

US military aircraft lands in Amritsar

Earlier in the day, the C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force landed at the Amritsar airport. The US action came just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington for wide-ranging talks with President Donald Trump. The deportees were questioned inside the airport terminal building by different government agencies, including the Punjab Police, and various state and central intelligence agencies to check if they have any criminal record.

Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, sources said. Nineteen women and 13 minors, including a four-year-old boy and two girls, aged five and seven, were among the deportees, they said.