‘All For Nothing’: Deported From US, UP Youth Recounts Rs 37-Lakh Loss, Dunkee & Humiliation

Last Updated:February 14, 2025, 19:56 IST

“We were handcuffed and shackled, legs bound in chains, hands restrained tightly. My fellow travellers and I were transported to a detention centre where we spent the next 22 days under strict surveillance,” says Pilibhit's Gurpreet Singh, 24

Gurpreet Singh is among those deported from the US. (News18)

A month ago, Gurpreet Singh, 24, set out of his home in Banjaria village, Pilibhit, with dreams of a better life in America. Trusting unscrupulous travel agents, he embarked on the perilous “dunki route", spending Rs 37 lakh in pursuit of his aspirations. But instead of prosperity, he encountered deception, hardship, and ultimately, deportation.

Singh was among the 104 Indians sent back under US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, along with Rakshit Baliyan, 19, and Devindra Singh, 38.

THE DREAM OF A BETTER FUTURE

Singh’s journey began in September 2022 when he decided to study in England. His family, not particularly wealthy, pooled in Rs 15 lakh to send him overseas on a study visa. He aspired to make a life in the hospitality industry, enrolling in a hotel management course. However, his dreams took a dark turn when the agent who had facilitated his travel failed to pay his full tuition fees, leading to his expulsion from the institute. Left stranded in a foreign land with an expired visa, he resorted to working odd jobs to survive.

“I took on petty jobs. I worked in restaurants, hotels, and even in homes just to make ends meet. I still remember the exhausting 12-hour shifts, including overtime, just to cover my daily expenses," said Singh.

Singh said with legal residency no longer an option in the UK, he started exploring other avenues. The desire to earn well and support his family pushed him to consider riskier alternatives. “I was introduced to a man in England — an intermediary in the illegal immigration network — who promised to smuggle me into the United States for a sum of Rs 22 lakh," Singh told News 18.

Desperate, his brother took a loan to arrange the money, sealing Singh’s fate for an unpredictable and perilous journey.

THE GRUELLING DUNKI ROUTE

The journey began in December 2024 when Singh was sent to Spain on a tourist visa. From there, he travelled to Mexico — his entry point into the underworld of illegal immigration. “In Mexico, I was stripped of my passport and all official documents, becoming yet another nameless traveller at the mercy of human traffickers," said Singh, recounting his ‘Dunki trip’.

“Over the next several weeks, I was forced to endure brutal conditions. Along with a group of other hopeful migrants, I was made to trek through dense forests, arid deserts and dangerous border territories. The smugglers treated us like cattle, barking orders and threatening us with guns. Our mobile phones were confiscated and destroyed to prevent communication with authorities," he added.

Nights were spent in makeshift camps under the open sky, where food and water were scarce. Many suffered from dehydration, exhaustion and injuries. Singh recalled one particularly harrowing moment when a fellow traveller collapsed from exhaustion and was left behind — his fate unknown. Each passing day brought new fears, as they dodged patrols, bribed border officials, and followed their ruthless guides deeper into the unknown.

THE ARREST AND DETENTION

On January 13, 2025, after weeks of relentless struggle, Singh and his group finally crossed into the US territory, believing their suffering had come to an end. But their relief was short-lived. Within hours, they were intercepted by American border patrol agents.

The arrest was swift and merciless. “We were handcuffed and shackled, legs bound in chains, hands restrained tightly. My fellow travellers and I were transported to a detention centre where we spent the next 22 days under strict surveillance," he recounted.

Although the conditions at the detention centre, he said, were not physically abusive, the psychological toll was unbearable. “Basic meals were provided, but the detainees were not allowed to bathe for nearly three weeks. Every day, they used to interrogate us, our fate was uncertain," he added.

Singh noticed that the American officers treated people differently based on their origins. Those from Haryana, who spoke aggressively, were particularly scrutinised.

As news of his detention reached his family in India, his mother, Jaswinder Kaur, was overcome with distress. Having already lost contact with him since his last phone call on January 14, she feared the worst. When the Indian authorities confirmed his imminent deportation, the family’s hopes were crushed.

THE RETURN TO INDIA: EMPTY HANDS, BROKEN DREAMS

On February 5, 2025, Singh and 103 other deportees were forced onto a US military aircraft, their hands and feet still shackled. They landed in Goa before being transferred to Amritsar, where they were handed over to Indian authorities.

As he arrived home in Pilibhit, the reality of his situation began to sink in. His family had lost Rs 37 lakh in the process — an insurmountable sum for them. His father, Gurmeet Singh, was devastated, his eyes reflecting the weight of shattered aspirations. “We sold everything we could, but in the end, it was all for nothing," he murmured.

The police questioned Singh for over two hours before releasing him to his family. Although no criminal charges were pressed against him in India, his name is now in official records. “They took down every detail, asking the same questions again and again. It felt like they were searching for a reason to keep me," he recalled.

2 MORE FLIGHTS PACKED WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LANDED

Singh is among the thousands of young Indians who fall prey to human traffickers, lured by the illusion of a better life abroad.

The first batch of deportees sparked national outrage after they were sent back to India handcuffed and shackled.

On February 14, two more flights carrying deported Indian immigrants from the US are scheduled to arrive in India, just days after the Trump administration deported 104 illegal migrants.

The second flight is expected to land in Amritsar. This development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, where illegal immigration was a key topic of discussion.

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