A US military aircraft landed at Amritsar airport on Saturday night, carrying 116 Indian migrants who had been deported from the United States. Among them was Daljit Singh, who had left his village in Punjab last year with hopes of a better future. Instead, he returned in shackles, his hands cuffed and legs chained throughout the journey.
“Our legs were chained and hands were also cuffed throughout the journey. There were three women and three children on board who were not cuffed,” Daljit told news agency PTI upon arrival. His experience reflects the harsh reality of illegal migration, where many fall prey to fraudulent travel agents and endure gruelling journeys, only to be deported back home.
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Among the deportees, over 60 were from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, two each from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
‘I was deceived by an agent’
Daljit recounted how he was lured by a travel agent in 2022, who promised to take him to the US legally in exchange for Rs 65 lakh. To secure the deal, he handed over an advance agreement for an acre of his land. His journey began in November 2022, when he was first sent to Dubai. After spending nearly 18 months there, he returned to India, only to be sent to South Africa for four-and-a-half months.
From there, he was taken to Brazil on August 26 last year and embarked on a treacherous route through multiple countries. The journey involved walking through dense forests, crossing rivers, and surviving on minimal food. Eventually, he reached Mexico, where he was forced to stay for a month while his travel agent coerced his wife into signing over his land. Finally, he crossed into the US on January 27, only to be caught and detained by US Border Patrol. “I was given only a bottle of water, a packet of chips, and an apple daily,” he told PTI.
‘We were told we were being shifted, but they sent us back’
Sourav, a 20-year-old from Punjab’s Ferozepur district, also shared his harrowing experience. His family spent Rs 45-46 lakh to send him to the US, selling farmland and borrowing money from relatives. “We were kept in a camp (detention centre) for 18 days,” he said. “A day before our deportation, we were told that we would be shifted to another camp. When we boarded the plane, they said we were being taken to India.”
Sourav had travelled through Amsterdam, Panama, and Mexico before attempting to cross the border on January 27. “Our mobile phones were confiscated, and we had no contact with our families. Our hands and legs were tied. We cooperated with the US authorities, but no one heard our appeals.”
‘My family spent Rs 90 lakh for this shattered dream’
Harjit Singh, from Gurdaspur district, was deported alongside his cousin. His family spent Rs 90 lakh in hopes of securing a future in the US. “We were assured that we would be taken legally, but we were not,” he told PTI. Harjit was caught while crossing the border on January 27 and detained for 18 days before being deported on February 13.
‘We sold our land and gold to send our son abroad’
Sahil Preet Singh’s parents, from Kapurthala district, spent Rs 40-45 lakh, selling their farmland and gold to fund his journey. His mother, Harvinder Kaur, accused a travel agent of duping them. “We demand that the Punjab government give our son a job and take legal action against the agent who deceived us.”
‘We want justice for our lost money and dreams’
Jaswinder Singh, from Dharamkot village in Moga, left for the US 45 days ago. His family raised Rs 45 lakh by selling land and giving it to an agent, who ultimately betrayed them. “We need justice. Our hard-earned money is gone, and our dreams have been shattered.”