As America sends back planeloads of illegal immigrants from India, many heartbreaking stories are emerging. Two such stories stand out, reported by ToI on February 17.
Paramjit Singh, who is also called Saurav, started a big adventure from his village Chandiwala in Punjab. On December 17 last year, he and his family sold two acres of their land and took a loan to pay Rs 45 lakh (about $54,000) to an agent for a secret trip to the United States. Though Saurav was aware of the risks, the hope of a better life was too strong to ignore, as shared by ToI’s Neel Kamal.
Saurav said goodbye to his family, promising not to let them down. But just two months later, he was back home, tired and depressed. Their money was gone, and his dreams were shattered. The last 40 days were the toughest for him. “One bad choice can become your worst enemy,” he reflected. Saurav had hoped to reach the US and make life better.
His difficult journey began in Malaysia, where he spent a week before being sent back to Mumbai. After ten days there, he traveled to Amsterdam and then Panama. Along with others, he went through jungles on foot to Mexico City, where they waited for three days. Eventually, they were taken close to the US border by taxi and told to cross the border alone but were caught by the border police.
Saurav remembered being taken to a police station where they took his fingerprints and pictures. Then, he was sent to a detention center for 18 days. On February 13, they were shackled and taken to a military plane. Instead of being relocated, they learned they were being sent back to India.
Another sad story comes from a family in Karnal, Haryana. They sold their home for Rs 45 lakh to help their son, Anuj, chase his American dream. After four months of trying, Anuj was deported back to Amritsar on Saturday with others who were sent back. His family, living in Jundla village, is devastated after Anuj’s dangerous attempt to reach the US via the donkey route. They are now asking the government to take action against dishonest travel agents who cheated them.
Among the 116 people deported to Amritsar, 33 were from Haryana, including nine from Karnal. Anuj’s father, Ashok, is urging the government to crack down on these shady agents.
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