Promised direct flight, treaded treacherous terrain

“Travel agents ditched us. We were promised a direct flight to the US, but they took us on ‘Dunki’ route.”

This was the common refrain of Sukhpal and Harvinder from the Tanda area, who were among those deported from the US, as they spoke to the mediapersons on reaching here.

“We were made to risk our lives as we travelled in small plastic boats in the sea for hours and then made to walk for several miles through jungles and hills. Anyone who got injured or fell ill was left there to die. Many of our companions died. We saw several bodies in jungles. We request everyone not to go to the US illegally. Stay in your country even if you don’t have enough to eat,” they said.

Walked miles through jungles

On return from the US, Sukhpal and Harvinder from the Tanda area said, “We were made to risk our lives as we travelled in small plastic boats in the sea for hours and then made to walk for several miles through jungles and hills. Anyone who got injured or fell ill was left there to die. We saw several bodies in jungles.”

The Amritsar police brought them to Tanda late on Wednesday night. They were taken to the DSP office where MLA Jasvir Singh Raja handed them over to their family.

Sukhpal said, “The agent had promised me a European visa and a direct flight to Mexico. I was taken to Italy. From there, I along with several others was taken to Latin America. We were told to wait for another flight. We were not given nothing to eat. No one bothered about us. We called agents, but they kept telling us that it will be sorted out soon. Later, they took us in taxis. Thereafter, we travelled on the sea for 15 hours and then on foot for about 45 kms, crossing 18 hills while risking our lives.”

He said when they entered the US from Tijuana in Mexico on January 22, they were arrested. US officials asked them the purpose of their visit and they replied that they had reached there in search of work. The officials then told them that they would be given work permit after 14 days. However, they were taken to a detention centre and later deported to Amritsar. “There were thousands of Punjabis in the centre, including women and kids. They all ae likely to be deported,” he said.

Harvinder told mediapersons that the travel agent had told him that he would be taken directly to Mexico from here. However, he was taken to Qatar. From there, he was taken to Brazil. He was told that he would have to take a flight from Peru following which he was taken to Peru by bus.

“There was no flight. We were taken in taxis to Colombia. We had to walk through jungles for several hours. After two days, were reached Mexico. We were made to cross the Mexican border by walking continuously,” he said.