'Shackled, chained and handcuffed on flight': Indian Deportees share cost of shattered American dreams
PTC News Desk: The Indian nationals who had been deported from US as a part of Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants arrived in Amritsar on Wednesday. However, the deportees have claimed harrowing details on their return to India.
While recounting their ordeal, Jaspal Singh, a 36-year-old man from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, said that they were unshackled only after landing in Amritsar.
"We thought we were being taken to another camp. Then a police officer told us that we were being taken to India. We were handcuffed, and our legs were chained. These were opened at Amritsar airport," he said.
Harwinder Singh, another deportee from Punjab, said he was taken through Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama, and Nicaragua before reaching Mexico.
The ordeal of deportees:
The 33 Punjabis who were deported from US had almost spent Rs 30- 40 lakhs to reach US via infamous dunkey route while putting everything at stake. While some of them sold their land and jewelleries, some of them took loans on huge interest with an intent to have better future. However their dreams fell apart after they were deported as part of Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Pradeep, one of the deportees hails from Jadaut village of Derabassi in Mohali who travelled via dunkey route. On his return his mother expressed her joy of meeting his son which was shortlived as the fear of his son's future looms large. She said that his son's American dream costed them over 40 lakhs. Sold one acre land, took loan, spent huge amount to send her son oversees only to eventually get deported. The agent had said, everything is legal. Pradeep used to say – we will build a house, buy a big car.
Another resident of Punjab's Hoshiarpur Harvinder Singh used to do farming to support his family. His wife says that in order to support his family with an aim of better future, he chose to reah US via dunkey route and took loan of Rs 42 lakhs. After their deportation, they have no way forward.
Amongst others was Jaspal Singh who reached US only 13 days back. He had been assured by a travel agent that he would be sent to the US in a legal way, with the price pegged at Rs 30 lakh. He was taken to Brazil, where he stayed for six months, before being captured by the US Border Patrol on January 24.
Family members of illegal immigrants from Punjab said that they took huge loans to send their loved ones to US with a dream of better future who are only left with huge crushing debt. The families have sought stringent action against the agents who defrauded them and deceived them into the dunkey route claiming that they would land in US the legal way.
"We sold whatever little we had and borrowed money on high interest to pay the agent, hoping for a better future. But he (agent) deceived us. Now, not only has my husband been deported we are also left with a huge debt," they said.
- With inputs from agencies
