Twice unlucky: Deported from Manila, Ferozepur youth tried again, only to be detained in US
Navdeep Singh and Saurav Kumar, both from Punjab, faced deportation from the US after failed attempts to reach the country, losing family savings to agents.
Deported from the Philippines nine months ago, while trying to reach the US through the perilous ‘donkey route’, Navdeep Singh, 23, a resident of Ferozepur’s Basti Amrik Singh village, didn’t give up on his American dream.
Last December he made another attempt to reach the US illegally. As fate would have it, his bid was foiled again as the US authorities detained him.
His name was in the list of 119 Indians to be deported on February 15 but as he fell ill at the last moment, he remains stranded in the US.
His father, Kashmir Singh, a caterer, revealed that the travel agent initially took ₹45 lakh to facilitate his journey. After Navdeep was deported from Manila, Philippines, the family confronted the agent. The agent then managed to convince them to pay ₹15 lakhs more, promising a successful entry into the US.
“I sold our family’s only one-acre land, took a home loan, and borrowed money from relatives to fulfill my elder son’s dream of reaching America. But in the end, everything is ruined,” the distraught father said.
Kashmir Singh said that his son, and many others, were fooled by agents who painted a rosy picture of well-paying jobs and a prosperous future in the US. However, upon arrival, they were abandoned, left to struggle without work or support. He is now calling for action against such agents.
‘Were told we were being taken to another detention camp’
Saurav Kumar, 23, of Ferozepur’s Chandiwala village, said that the US authorities had kept them in the dark about their deportation.
“We were handcuffed and told that we were being shifted to another camp. Confusion and anxiety quickly turned into shock when a large military plane appeared. It was only then that we realised that we were being deported,” he said.
The 23-year-old’s family had spent nearly ₹46-48 lakh, selling two acres of land, borrowing from relatives, in the hope that he would secure a better future in the States.
Recalling his perilous journey, Saurav said, “On December 17, I flew to Malaysia, then returned to Mumbai, from where I boarded a flight to Amsterdam. From there, I travelled to Panama, then Tapachula, and finally Mexico. On January 27, as soon as we crossed the border fence into the US, American forces apprehended us.”
He described the ordeal that followed: “We were taken to a detention camp and treated like criminals. I was aware that I was taking the ‘donkey route’, but the agent assured me it would take just a month, with most of the journey being by air. However, the reality I faced was beyond imagination. I have no words to express what I went through.”
Now back in India, Saurav hopes that the Indian and Punjab governments will intervene to help him recover the money he spent or secure a job so that he can rebuild his life.