‘American dream’ shattered, horror of heavy debts now haunts deportees
SANGRUR:SANDEEP Singh, aka Deep, 23, from Moonak town in Sangrur district, had left for America from New Delhi on June 13 this year to make a better life for himself. Little did the Punjabi youngster know that his American dream would soon lay shattered, as Mexican immigration authorities deported him, along with 311 Indians on a chartered flight to India, on Friday.
Describing his ordeal, Deep said he saw three people die before his eyes, in the Panama forests and many comrades, of his group of 23, fall ill. The Sangrur man said he began his passage from Ecuador to Mexico from where he wanted to cross over to the US but was caught at Veracruz refugee camp and his ‘mission America’ was cut short by Mexican authorities.
“It is the first time in history that Mexico has deported people. We went to several countries legitimately and reached the first refugee camp at Tapachula in Mexico after facing many difficulties. If I had two more days, I would have crossed the Mexico-us border,” said Sandeep, who returned home on Saturday. He said the seeds of his misadventure were sown when Capt Amarinder Singh disbanded truck unions across the state after forming the government in 2017. Sandeep’s father Mukhtiar Singh was compelled to sell off two of his four trucks as the business was poor. The transporter decided to send his graduate son to America for which he took a loan of ₹16 lakh but his hopes were shattered on Friday morning when he received Sandeep’s phone call from Delhi Airport saying he had been deported to India.
“I first reached Ecuador, then Medellin. I had to cross the Panama forests which took 6 days,” Deep recalls. To their horror, the group faced hunger, thirst and several obstacles as they crossed Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala by buses, taxies and boats. One man from Rajpura and two from Kaithal (Haryana) died on their way to Mexico, he said, adding that they came across many dead bodies and people suffering from dangerous diseases. About 800 Indians are still stuck waiting for a chance to cross the border, said Deep. Nine of his group were deported while others successfully crossed over he said.
Ironically, the victims have no complaints against travel agents, and blamed the state government instead, for failing to provide jobs which compelled them to take the risk.
“Drugs are easily available in Punjab but there are no jobs. I wanted to join the army but I was not selected. However, I was growing older and I had to take a decision. However, all of us, the 311 deported people, are ‘dead’ anyway. We have all taken loans or sold our land. The debt haunts us more and more, every day,” he added.
Another 22-year-old youth from Samana of Patiala had a similar story to share. He spent ₹22 lakh but could not reach US. “I struggled for seven months but eventually I was deported. I am stressed as I fail to see a future in Punjab after this disappointment. It was a very disturbing experience,” the youth told HT, on the condition of anonymity.
THE GROUP BATTLED HUNGER, THIRST AND DISEASE AS THEY CROSSED SEVERAL COUNTRIES BY BUSES, TAXIS AND BOATS