AUTHOR VINAY KOCHHAR.CHANDIGARH.
There has been a trend in Punjab to work and settle abroad. People of Punjab sell their property and go abroad in the desire to earn dollars. The 104 people who returned after being deported from America on Wednesday had never thought that they would be sent back tied in shackles and handcuffs. Among these people, there are 30 Punjabis as well. Most of them are youths who reached America through the donkey route.
Most of the youths put their parents’ life savings at stake. Some sold their land and sent their children abroad, while some took huge loans from the bank. But now they have nothing but regrets and lessons. The youths had taken the wrong path of the donkey route in the desire to earn dollars. These stories of 10 youths of Punjab who returned from America are forcing everyone to think.
Lost 45 lakh rupees in the desire to go to America
Jaswinder Singh, son of a middle class farmer family in Amloh sub division of Fatehgarh Sahib, went abroad on a European visa about two-three months ago and was later arrested at the Mexico border. According to sources, Jaswinder Singh is a resident of village Kahanpura in Amloh. His father runs a sweet shop in Mandi Gobindgarh and also has a small milk business. Jaswinder Singh used to work with his father selling milk earlier. But his desire to go to America has caused a loss of about 45 lakh rupees. Information has also been received from sources that on January 15, he was arrested at the Mexico border and from there he was deported back to India.
He had left home eight months ago, spent time in a detention camp
Among the Indians deported from America, two people are from Tanda. One of them had reached America about a month ago, while the other had gone to Italy eight months ago, but how he reached America from there is not known at the moment. According to the family, Harvinder Singh of village Tahli had crossed the border illegally and entered America last month and was in a detention camp there since he was caught. Harvinder’s wife Kuljinder Kaur told that he had gone to America from home eight months ago and the agent had talked about sending him to America in a legal way. Kuljinder Kaur told that despite taking Rs 42 lakh, an agent from the village itself sent her husband to America through a donkey instead of sending them to America legally. Her husband sent her a message on January 15 telling her that he had crossed the border and reached America. After this, there was no contact with him and now they got the information about his return to his homeland.
Sold land, took a loan of 18 lakhs and sent son to America
Akashdeep Singh, son of Swarn Singh, a resident of the border village of Rajatal in Amritsar, also went to America seven months ago. When the Donald Trump government sent him back to India along with 104 Indians, Swarn Singh was devastated. His entire family is in deep shock. Akashdeep Singh went to Mexico via Dubai and from Mexico to America. Akashdeep left home about seven months ago. His family used to talk to him on mobile phone but when he went to America, there was no conversation on his phone.
She had sent her husband to America by paying 60 lakhs to the agent
Charanjit Kaur, who reached the airport to receive her husband Diler Singh, said that the agent had sent her husband to America by taking 60 lakh rupees. Her husband used to drive a bus in Amritsar. They have two children. About six months ago, her husband agreed to go to America after being convinced by the agent and she arranged 40 lakh rupees and gave it to him. The agent first sent her husband to Dubai, where after staying for about 10-15 days, the agents sent her husband further. After this, she lost contact with her husband completely. She did not even know if her husband was alive there or not. The agents asked for another twenty lakh rupees from her, which she somehow gave. After this, Diler Singh was sent to America on 15 January and he reached there on 23 January.
Sold land and gave money to agent, son returned after being deported
Another person also reached the airport to receive his son. He did not tell his name but the pain of being cheated by the agents was evident. He had sent his son abroad by selling his land. He said that he had three acres of land, which he sold and sent his son to America a year ago by investing about fifty lakh rupees. The agents had told him that his son would reach America safely and would also start working, but after wandering in the jungles for about four months, he reached there and now he has been deported back. Took loan from bank for daughter, borrowed from relatives
She is a resident of Mohalla Pratap Nagar, Jagraon. She went to UK on a study visa a year ago, where after staying for a few months, she reached America illegally through an agent. After staying there for about a month, she was deported. Muskan’s father Jagdish Kumar runs a dhaba on Purani Sabzi Mandi Road. He told that Muskan, the eldest of four daughters, had dreamed of settling abroad. She went to UK to study on January 4, 2024 after doing IELTS. For this, she took loan from banks and borrowed money from relatives. He came to know today that his daughter has been deported from America. After immigration and custom clearance, Muskan was handed over to Punjab Police.