Fearing social stigma, kin, villagers mum on deportation

With the arrival of the first flight carrying deported youth from the US, families of those affected are facing a difficult time. Many had sent their relatives to the US after spending lakhs, hoping for a better future, but the deportation has shattered their dreams.

The youths, who had travelled to the US through "donkey routes", are yet to reach their homes. Their families and villagers remain tight-lipped about the situation, fearing social stigma and financial ruin after investing their life savings in the failed journey.

As per the information, 33 of the deported persons hail from Haryana. However, confusion persists regarding the villages they belong to, as multiple districts have villages with similar names. It is believed that the highest number of deported youths—between seven and 10, including a woman—are from Kaithal, followed by five to seven from Karnal.

Abhishek, a resident of Pyoda; Sahil of Dhunrehdi; Jitesh Walia of Kaithal city; Aman Kumar of Atela village; Ankit of Kasan; Ramesh of Kaithal city; Gurpreet of Arnauli; Prince of Kakaut; and Mandeep of Shyomajra are among the deportees from Kaithal.

Family members of the deported youths have urged the Union government to take up the matter with US authorities for a sympathetic approach.

Kuldeep Singh, a former sarpanch of Attela village in Kaithal, said Aman (of his village) went to the US after spending lakhs. His family had high hopes of a better future, but now he had been deported. “The government should intervene and support those who have lost everything,” he said.

A relative of one of the deportees, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We sold our land and took huge loans to send my brother to the US. After passing through extreme hardships, he has now been deported. We have no idea how we will repay our debts.”

Another family member revealed that they had spent Rs 45 lakh to send their son to the US through illegal routes.

7 belong to Kurukshetra district

Kurukshetra: Of the total deportees, around seven deportees—Vikas Kumar of Kurukshetra, Khushpreet Singh of Ismailabad, Robin of Ismailabad, Paris of Shahabad, Yogesh of Kheri Ramnagar, Sahib Singh of Pehowa, and Maninder Kaur—reportedly belong to Kurukshetra district.

SP Varun Singla said, “We are yet to receive any communication regarding the deportees. Once we get information, and they come back, we will conduct the verification and obtain information about how they went there.”

Two other youths—Shivam from Adhoya Musalmana and Shubham from Dehar—reportedly belong to Ambala district.