On 15th February, Saturday, Harpreet Singh, a 23-yearold, returned home after being deported from the United States. Harpreet was among the 116 Indian nationals deported from the US on a military flight that landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar late last night.
The second batch of deportees included 67 from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, 8 from Gujarat, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, 2 each from Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and 1 each from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. This flight had landed at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji Airport at 11: 30 pm.
His family had borrowed nearly Rs 40 lakh from villagers and relatives in order to send him abroad, but unfortunately, their hopes got crushed by deceitful immigration agents. His family was already struggling with poverty.
Out of these deportees, around 65 were from Punjab and many of them had paid huge sums to agents, who promised them a secure future abroad.
Harpreet’s father, a former kabaddi player, was left disabled after an accident, and his mother works as a domestic helper in order to sustain the household. His younger brother works at a salon and his sister is still studying. The family arranged Rs 40 lakh through loans for a better future.
Harpreet’s father expressed his grief and said “We had to sell whatever little we had and borrow from relatives and neighbors. The agent assured us that he would reach America safely. But now we have nothing, no money, no future, just endless debt.”
Meanwhile, Harpreet’s mother said “The agent who took our money has disappeared. His phone is off. We don’t know where to turn.”
Initially, Harpreet went to Italy in July last year. He stayed for three months. Following this, he connected with an immigration agent, who charged him a huge sum to smuggle him into the US through Guatemala and Mexico.
Harpreet shared about the journey and said, “I was the only Punjabi in my group; the rest were from Haryana. We walked for days, often without food, surviving on snacks like chips. The jungles were filled with danger, and many of us were beaten by smugglers if we asked too many questions.”
On 24th January, Harpreet was caught by US authorities in California. “They stripped us, gave us just a thin t-shirt and boots without laces, and made us sit in freezing temperatures. They treated us like criminals. I had never imagined such cruelty,” he said.
On 10th February, Harpreet and other immigrants were shifted to another facility. Harpreet revealed about his sufferings and said, “They handcuffed us and warned that if we tried to resist, we’d be locked in a cell. We only realized we were being sent back to India when our plane neared Amritsar, and they removed our handcuffs,” he said.
Following this, the village sarpanch has urged the government to take strict action against such fraud agents. The sarpanch said, “These agents are playing with the lives of innocent youth and pushing families into financial ruin. The government must act before more lives are destroyed.”