'We were treated like criminals', says Kurukshetra youth

The dream of going to the US to earn big bucks was shattered for Kurukshetra’s Robin Handa (26) after he was deported on Wednesday.

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Robin, a resident of Ismailabad in Kurukshetra, has appealed youngsters not to take 'donkey routes' to chase the American dream.

A computer engineer, Robin said, “After finding no suitable job in the country I decided to move to America. I was hopeful that after some struggle there, life will become easy, but I never thought I will be deported and that life will become miserable. We had given Rs 43 lakh to the agent.”

Upset over the treatment meted out to them, he said, “We were treated like criminals. They should have deported us with dignity, instead of sending us in an army plane in handcuffs.”

They were given chocolates, fruits, chips, and sandwiches.

Sharing his ordeal, Robin, who was aware that he was going through a 'donkey route', said, “The local agent had assured me that I will reach America in a month. I started my journey on July 24, and it took me about seven months to get there through jungles and in boats. Our phone, clothes and money were taken away by the mafia and police there. We were tortured, too. I reached there on January 22 and surrendered to the police. They don’t record any statement. They just put you in a camp. We were not told that we were being deported. We were handcuffed and chained. They told us that we were being shifted to another camp.”

Robin, whose parents had sent him to the US after selling about an acre, said, “No one should experience what we have experienced there. I can’t explain my feelings. I will focus on improving the financial condition of my family and start some business here only.”

Robin’s father Manjit Singh, who runs an electricals shop, said, “I sold my land with the hope of settling my son abroad, but the agent cheated us. I also borrowed money from relatives and took a loan of Rs 5 lakh from a bank. We were told that Robin will reach within a month, but it took him seven months to get there. He was tortured on the way and the agent also threatened to get Robin killed if we didn’t give him money.”

“My son is under stress. It was disheartening to see the condition of the children when they landed here. I don’t have any money to send him again to any other country as I have to repay previous loans. If we approach the agent, he will claim that he has done his job by sending Robin to America, but we have lost everything. Only the government can make the agent return our money. Strict action should be taken against him,” he said.