Illegal immigration promises a better life abroad but often leads to shattered dreams and misery.
Chandigarh: America offers a better life—how? No answer. America offers a better security level than India does—how? No answer. The recent series of deportations, most involving individuals deceived by agents and Khalistani leadership under the slogan of political victimisation in Punjab and the lure of a better life in America, reveals a grim scenario about illegal migration. The first task is finding work once reach the US. This raises a critical question: if it is possible to borrow Rs 45 lakh to Rs 1 crore to pay for this dangerous trip and to find employment, why not deploy the same sum in starting a business in India? No response from the deportees.
The Sunday Guardian sought to understand the psychology behind this unrelenting obsession with going abroad and discovered a web of deceit spun by Dubai-based agents and Khalistani operatives, extorting massive sums for fraudulent asylum certificates.
A journey of deception and despair
One such victim was Rakinder Singh from Thakarwal village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district. He trusted an agent based in Dubai, known as Sabu, who sold him a “safe passage” to the US for Rs 45 lakh. Half a year later, Rakinder was one of 104 Indians, including 30 from Punjab, deported from the US and sent back to India on a U.S. military aircraft.
Rakinder never met Sabu in person. Their interactions were limited to WhatsApp calls, with Sabu using multiple aliases such as Raja and Lio. First came the journey from Amritsar to Dubai, then Johannesburg in South Africa, and finally Brazil, where Rakinder and others were given asylum for 11 days. Their passports were then seized by middlemen pretending to acquire U.S. visas, and they were forgotten, with no sign of them returning. Rakinder never know he would be taken through a donkey route.
A harrowing route across 14 countries
Rakinder had previously worked in Australia. By the time he left Brazil, his savings had been exhausted, and he had borrowed money heavily to fund the journey. He then traversed Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico-locations fraught with threats at every stop.
“We survived on a handful of rice and rajma, sometimes going hungry for days. I did all this only for my children,” he recalled.
On January 15, after reaching the U.S.-Mexico border, Rakinder and his group climbed up the fence using a ladder, only to be immediately apprehended by U.S. authorities. Rakinder and his group were placed in an overcrowded detention centre, cut off from the outside world. Attempts to contact his agent were in vain as his phone had been switched off, and his name was unknown.
In Guatemala, kidnappers held Rakinder captive, demanding the last installment of Rs 20 lakh. After much pressure, his family managed to gather the amount. There were similar ransom demands; in Ecuador, an Amritsar man was kept in custody until his family paid Rs 7 lakh for his release.
Dreams shattered, lives in ruins
For Rakinder, returning to India was a bittersweet experience.
“When I landed in Amritsar, I had hot Indian food after six months. I cried—it felt like home,” he said.
He now warns fellow Punjabis against falling into the trap of illegal migration, as he faces an uncertain future without his passport, savings, or livelihood. Another deportee, Harvinder Singh from Hoshiarpur, shared his thoughts and urged those aspiring to go to the USA to choose legal
The “donkey routes” have been a horrific experience for them.
A similar story unfolded for Lovepreet Kaur from Kapurthala , who had taken her 10-year-old son with her, believing she would find a new life in the US. Her agent had promised her direct entry but later changed the route, taking them through Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. When they reached the US, they were detained for five days before being sent back in chains. Her family had borrowed Rs 1 crore to finance the trip, thinking they would soon reunite with relatives in California.
“When we arrived in the US, the agents away our SIM cards, ornaments, and luggage. For 40 hours, we were kept in the dark about our destination. When we finally landed in India, it felt like a cruel nightmare,” she said.
Now, Lovepreet is burdened with debt.
“The government needs to crack down hard on these agents who take advantage of desperate families,” she said.
A harsh lesson for many
On January 2, Lovepreet and her son set out for the US with hopes of a better life. A month later, those hopes lay in ruins as they joined the 104 deportees who arrived in Amritsar on a US Air Force flight. A police officer present at her home stated that her story should serve as a harsh reminder of the dangers of illegal migration and the deceptive promises of human traffickers.
Authorities stress the urgent need for stricter action against these fraudulent agents. As thousands continue to chase the illusion of a better future abroad, their dreams are shattered by a harsh reality—one that leaves them penniless, vulnerable, and back where they started.