Survived on just rice during treacherous journey: US deportees
Daljit embarked on the journey after a man from his village introduced him to a travel agent in 2022 who assured to take him to the US through legal channel in exchange for ₹65 lakh. As a guarantee, Daljit signed a deal and handed over an advance agreement for one acre of his land to the agent.
Daljit Singh left his native village in Punjab for the US last year in a desperate bid to provide a better future for his family. On Saturday night, he landed in Amritsar in a US military aircraft, his hands cuffed and legs chained.
A native of Kurala Kalan village in Hoshiarpur district, Daljit was among second batch of illegal Indian immigrants who were brought back in a US aircraft that landed at the Amritsar airport late on Saturday night.
“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 reporters.
The deportees were provided Indian food upon reaching Amritsar, much to their reprieve after the exhausting journey.
Sharing his ordeal with reporters, Daljit said he was taken to the US through the ‘donkey route’ -- an illegal and risky pathway used by migrants to enter the US.
Daljit embarked on the journey after a man from his village introduced him to a travel agent in 2022 who assured to take him to the US through legal channel in exchange for ₹65 lakh. As a guarantee, Daljit signed a deal and handed over an advance agreement for one acre of his land to the agent.
Daljit’s journey began in November 2022 when he was first sent to Dubai. However, after spending nearly 18 months there, he returned to India.
A few months later, the agent sent him to South Africa, where he remained for about four-and-a-half months, he said.
On August 26 last year, I was sent to Brazil from Mumbai to begin the treacherous journey to the US. From Brazil, I navigated terrains on foot and by taxi to cross Panama before reaching Mexico, he said.
Food was scarce, and at times, he survived only on rice. The group he was part of comprised nearly 100 people, including eight Indians, Daljit said.
Singh stayed in Mexico for about a month and during this time, the travel agent back home pressured him to transfer the ownership of his four-and-a-half acres of land to them.
On January 27, Daljit was illegally pushed across the US border through Tijuana, where he was promptly apprehended by US Border Patrol officials who told him that he would be deported.
Daljit said his stay at the detention centre was also not comfortable. He was not allowed to leave his room and was provided with minimal food, consisting only of a bottle of water, a packet of chips, and an apple.