Deportation, wars no deterrent for Punjabi youth migrating abroad

The deportation of illegal immigrants by the US government and scores of Indians returning from Russia after serving in the Russian army as helpers while it is engaged in the war against Ukraine has laid bare the fact that Punjabi youths are desperate to go to the country of ‘whites’.

Among the 104 deported to India by the USA today, 30 are of Punjabi origin. Adverse conditions abroad notwithstanding, Punjabi youth are desperate to go to the country of ‘whites’ by any means, ignoring the fact that leading global economies are facing cost-of-living crisis and internecine conflicts are threatening world peace. They are unable to resist the charm to go overseas in search of greener pastures. Their desperation is reflected in flying to even those countries where wars are being fought. Many have lost their lives or sustained injuries.

There are examples galore! Less than three months after landing in Moscow, Amritsar’s Tejpal Singh was killed fighting for Russia in its war against Ukraine on March 12, 2024. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t smart. He had been to Cyprus twice on a study visa, the first time for six months in 2013-14 where he undertook a travel and tourism management course; and for the second time, for 17 months, when he met his future wife, Parminder Kaur, who had gone there on a work visa.

Amritsar’s Harpreet Singh had joined the Russian army with the help of a youth from his village who works as an agent of a travel agency who operates most of his business over mobile phone. Unable to stand the ravages of war and harsh winter, he prayed to his parents over the phone to arrange for help to take him out of Russia.

Over five youngsters from Amritsar’s Ajnala, a border sub-division, returned safely home from Russia after the Consulate General of India in St Petersburg arranged their return flight, which was facilitated by a request from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 8. All of them were lured to pounce upon the offer made by advertisements on Instagram to serve in Russia as a food delivery agent, cook or helpers at a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh.

Kamal K Bhumla, operating an overseas educational company in Doaba region, known for a large number of NRI population, said roughly an annual average of 1.4 lakh students — approximately 70,000 students and 50,000 by other means — are going out of Punjab. This trend was limited for the past two years but the scenario is expected to change after the actual start of deportation.

People who illegally go to Europe prefer to commute via Serbia and East European countries. To reach the USA, they travel via Mexico and Panama. On the way, their families back home have little idea about their whereabouts and it takes them a couple of months to reach their destinations. Yet many are ready to take risks. Last March, 28-year-old Karan Singh from Pathankot’s Siyonti village went missing in the forests of Belarus after he took the ‘donkey route’. He had left for Spain in January in search of a job.

Another travel agent Baljinder Singh said over 90 per cent of the youth migrating from Punjab hail from rural areas who have their relatives abroad to guide them and handhold them.

Among various procedures employed by the youth keen to migrate abroad is ‘donkey route’. The mode of procedure and transportation has been changing under the term ‘donkey route’. Punjabis have been using the route to reach the destinations of their choices and do not hold back from taking risks.

Of late, small East European countries have figured on their list to go abroad. Among them, Portugal tops the list. It provides them with the opportunity to migrate to any European country in future.

The police and intelligence agencies have completely failed to check the operations of illegal immigration agencies that operate over phones and social media accounts rather than having offices.