The Dunky Route: A deadly path to the American dream | The role of agents and betrayal of trust; watch true stories
A tragic yet recurring reality haunts Indian migrants desperate to reach the United States—the Dunki Route. In recent years, the pathway has turned into a perilous, illegal escape route where thousands gamble their lives, risking everything for a dream that often ends in detention, deportation, or even death.
As the Trump administration tightens immigration laws and executes mass deportations, the plight of Indians who invested their life's savings to illegally enter the US. has worsened. Many took loans, sold properties, and drained family savings to fund a journey they believed would bring them prosperity. Instead, they find themselves caught in a brutal cycle of deception, extortion, and suffering.
A conversation with a close acquaintance today brought home the grim reality of this underground human trafficking network. A young couple, the wife expecting a child, paid a staggering Rs 1.05 crore to reach the US through the Dunky Route. Their decision was driven by hopelessness—believing that India's economic stagnation left them with no future. They are not alone. Thousands of skilled Indians choose this illegal route every year, rather than investing their talents at home.
The Dunki Route, a dangerous cross-border journey facilitated by human traffickers, typically takes migrants through multiple countries, including Russia, Turkey, and Central America, before they attempt to cross into the US via Mexico. The journey, which often lasts months, exposes migrants to extreme dangers.
Agents, commonly called ‘donkers’, promise safe passage but instead rob, abuse, and abandon migrants midway. Many are left stranded in unfamiliar regions without money or food. Corrupt officials and criminal gangs extort money at borders, often detaining and torturing migrants who cannot pay. Reports of physical assault, rape, and human trafficking are horrifyingly common.
Migrants endure extreme weather, starvation, dehydration, and lack of medical aid. Countless lives are lost in deserts, jungles, and open seas.
Those who survive the journey and reach Mexico’s border with the US face further exploitation. Many are forced to live in squalid camps, waiting for the right moment to cross illegally. Some are abandoned in the desert, left to fend for themselves, while others are forced into bonded labour or sex trafficking rings.
The desperation pushing Indians towards illegal migration is also a damning reflection of India’s failure to retain its skilled workforce. Every year, thousands of engineers, doctors, and young professionals abandon India for better opportunities abroad. Many who fail to secure visas through legal channels resort to illegal means, believing that life in the West—even undocumented—is better than struggling at home. But why can’t these individuals invest their skills and resources in India? The answer is deeply rooted in the lack of trust in the system—corruption, bureaucratic red tape, limited career growth, and an unstable economic environment drive people away. Instead of empowering its youth with stronger economic policies and better employment prospects, India watches helplessly as its best and brightest are either exploited abroad or remain underutilised at home.
Human smugglers operate in an organised crime network spanning multiple countries. Their business thrives on misleading promises and false guarantees. Agents lure people by telling them that once they step foot in the US., they will find jobs and eventually legalise their status. But reality hits hard—migrants are often: arrested at airports, transit hubs, and international borders. They are held in detention centres for months before being deported. They are also denied asylum claims and legal representation due to their unlawful entry. Moreover, many are subjected to racist violence and discrimination in foreign lands.
What needs to change?
Governments must strictly regulate visa agents and travel agencies that secretly run illegal immigration networks. The illusion of the American Dream through the Dunky Route must be shattered. Those attempting the journey should understand the real dangers and legal consequences.
India needs investment-friendly policies, better employment structures, and a more robust economy to retain its workforce. Countries like the US, Canada, and Mexico must collaborate with India to prevent illegal immigration, ensuring humane treatment of detainees while penalising traffickers.
The Dunki Route is a modern-day tragedy, fueled by desperation and sustained by deception. For every Indian who successfully enters the US illegally, hundreds face unimaginable horrors or end up deported—broken, penniless, and hopeless.
- PTC NEWS
