BACK IN INDIA, DEPORTEES RECOUNT HORROR
My father, a cop, mortgaged our house and sold off a car to pay the visa agent’s fees. So many graduates were travelling with us. I was willing to do any work in the US. MANDEEP SINGH, Patiala resident
On October 16, when Ajay Saini was picked up by Mexican immigration authorities he was less than 200 metres from crossing over to his dream destination-the United States of America.
The 22-year old from Kurukshetra left home on June 6, pinning his hopes on a local travel agent who promised him safe entry into the US through Mexico, in exchange for ₹12 lakh.
“I just wanted a good life. Any work in the US would pay me more than what I make here,” said Saini, a farmer back home, who embarked on a journey which took him from Equador through Colombia, then Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala before he reached his penultimate destination, Mexico. His journey was to end there.
On Wednesday, Mexico decided to deport 311 illegal immigrants to India.
Early on Friday, Saini and 310 others landed at New Delhi international airport in a Boeing 747 that took off from Toluca City on Wednesday. The Indians, including a woman, were caught over weeks in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Baja California, Veracruz, Chiapas, Sonora, Mexico City, Durango and Tabasco. The move came after US President Donald Trump threatened tariffs in May on all Mexican imports if the country failed to check people entering America illegally through Mexico’s borders.
A majority of the deportees are aged between 18 and 35 and belong to Punjab and Haryana.
“My friend, who lives in California, is making huge money in his transport business. I also wanted such a life, so I took off,” said 35-year-old Bajinder Singh from Karnal, Haryana, who left home three months back ago, leaving behind his wife and mother. he has spoken to neither for the past two months.
Mandeep Singh, 19, a second year college student from Patiala, Punjab, said his father, who works for the Punjab Police, mortgaged their house and sold off a car to pay the visa agent’s fees. “So many graduates were travelling with us. I am willing to do any work in America,” he said.
They reached Equador on an “on arrival” visa arranged by a local agent and from there travelled to Colombia, where they lived in camps. Their next stop was Panama to reach which they travelled across rivers and mountains for about 13 to 15 days on foot, battling hunger, bandits and poisonous snakes.
“We saw so many bodies in the Panama forests. Many died of hunger and many others due to snake bites,” said Manish Kumar, 22, from Karnal.