‘Crossed 18 hills, saw dead bodies’: Deported migrant on ‘donkey’ route to US

A US C-17 military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar on Wednesday.

Indian immigrants, who arrived in Amritsar in a US C-17 military aircraft, shared shocking details of how they entered the US through the “donkey route”.

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrying undocumented Indian migrants deported by the US at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar, Punjab(Bloomberg)

One of the 104 deported Indian nationals, who hailed from Punjab, claimed he was first taken to Italy and then to Latin America.

"Our clothes worth ₹30,000-35,000 were stolen on the way," he told PTI.

The deportee said they took a 15-hour-long boat ride and were made to walk 40-45 kms.

"We crossed 17-18 hills. If one slipped, then there would be no chance that he would survive... We have seen a lot. If anybody got injured, he was left to die. We saw dead bodies," he added.

A US C-17 military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar on Wednesday. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

Deported Indian national alleges being duped of ₹30 lakh

Jaspal Singh, another deported Indian, claimed he was duped by a travel agent, who according to him, promised to take him to the US legally.

"I had asked the agent to send me through a proper visa. But he deceived me," Singh told PTI, adding that the deal was done at ₹30 lakh.

Singh claimed that he reached Brazil by air in July last year. He said he was promised that the next leg of journey, to the US, would be by air too. However, he was "cheated" by his agent, who forced him to cross the border illegally.

After staying for six months in Brazil, he crossed the border to the US, but was arrested by the US Border Patrol.

The deportees were questioned inside the airport terminal building by different government agencies, including the Punjab Police, and various state and central intelligence agencies to check if they have any criminal record.

(With PTI inputs)