65 deportees from Punjab lost ₹27.5 crore to realise the American dream

Had sold their land, mortgaged their houses; with their dreams shattered, they now struggle to repay the debts

The 65 illegal immigrants from Punjab, who have been deported from the United States so far, spent a whopping ₹27.5 crore in the hope of realising their American dream, as per a document compiled by state government officials.

Swaran Singh, father of US deportee Akashdeep Singh, 23, of border village Rajatal in Amritsar on Sunday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

The document – HT has seen a copy of it – further revealed that Gurdaspur had the highest number of deportees at 11 followed by Kapurthala with 10 and Hoshiarpur with nine.

Two couples from Mohali paid ₹85 lakh each to private agents in Haryana.

Most others paid approximately ₹50 lakh to private agents by selling their land or mortgaging their homes.

The agents, operating from different parts of Punjab, Haryana, and even Dubai, had assured them of a smooth journey to the US. However, these individuals were taken through dangerous routes, including South American countries and Mexico, facing extreme hardships along the way. Some were detained for months in US immigration centers before being forcibly sent back.

One of the couples from Mohali was taken through the Panama jungles route while the other was taken through Guyana-Brazil-Columbia-Panama constrict to Mexico.

A deported youth from Jalandhar said, “I paid ₹45 lakh to an agent who promised me legal documents. But after reaching Mexico, I realised I was trapped. I had no choice but to keep moving forward. After months of suffering, I was caught and sent back.”

Families of many deportees are now in deep financial trouble, as they had borrowed large sums of money to send their loved ones abroad. With their dreams shattered, they now struggle to repay the debts.

Experts say that the trend of illegal immigration from Punjab has been increasing, with many desperate to go abroad despite the risks. “These human smugglers operate in a well-organised network across multiple states and even foreign countries,” said an official from the immigration department.

Ludhiana deputy commissioner Jitender Jorwal said, “A panel has been formed where different teams under all sub-divisional magistrates have been made. They will soon submit a report on illegal travel agents across the district and take proper action.”