Shackled Dreams: The Return Journey of Punjabi Deportees from the US

Punjabi deportee Daljit Singh, part of a group returned from the US, recounts a harrowing journey marked by handcuffs and chains. Deceived by agents promising legal passage, he traversed the 'donkey route', a risky illegal migration path. The group was deported amid a crackdown on illegal immigration by the US.

Daljit Singh, a deportee who arrived in Amritsar from the U.S. on Saturday night, recounted a harrowing journey during which he claims they were handcuffed and shackled. Singh shared his ordeal with reporters in Hoshiarpur, describing the inhumane conditions faced by the group en route.

Singh, hailing from Kurala Kalan village in Punjab, was among 116 Indian nationals repatriated aboard a U.S. aircraft, marking the second batch deported under the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The group included a significant number from Punjab, raising local concerns about the plight of these individuals.

Criticism arose as Singh's wife Kamalpreet Kaur accused a travel agent of misleading them, initially promising a legal journey to the U.S. but instead routing Singh through dangerous terrains known as the 'donkey route.' Despite aspirations for a better life, many deportees found their dreams shattered and returned to their homeland in shackles.