Amritsar: A 33-year-old man from Ramdas village in Amritsar district died of cardiac arrest in Guatemala during a journey to the United States through the illegal ‘dunki’ route, his family confirmed on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred just days after 104 Indian immigrants were deported from the US, many of whom had taken the same perilous path.
The deceased, Gurpreet Singh, had left India three months ago after paying ₹36 lakh to agents who promised to facilitate his journey to the US. His brother, Sardara Singh, revealed that Gurpreet had previously travelled to England but later returned. Determined to reach the US, he first contacted Chandigarh-based agents and paid them ₹16.5 lakh, which got him to Guyana. From there, he sought help from a Pakistan-based agent, making the full payment for the next leg of the journey.
However, tragedy struck in Guatemala. “The youths accompanying him told us they were staying at a hotel. As they were preparing to leave for their next destination, Gurpreet experienced severe breathlessness. Within minutes, his condition worsened, and he passed away,” Sardara Singh recounted.
The grieving family has urged the Indian government to help repatriate Gurpreet’s body so they can perform his last rites as per Sikh traditions.
{{/usCountry}}The grieving family has urged the Indian government to help repatriate Gurpreet’s body so they can perform his last rites as per Sikh traditions.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab minister for NRI affairs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal visited the family to express his condolences. Calling the incident tragic, he urged Punjabi youth not to take unauthorised routes to migrate abroad. He emphasised the dangers and exorbitant costs involved, urging young people to instead invest in skilled education, which provides safer and more stable opportunities.
Dhaliwal assured the family that the government would make every possible effort to bring Gurpreet’s body back to Punjab.
The issue of illegal immigration through the ‘dunki route’ has become a growing concern. Many Indian youths deported on February 6 have shared harrowing accounts of their journey and the exploitation they faced at the hands of travel agents.