Harwinder Singh, a resident of Tahli village in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, recently returned home after a harrowing ordeal of illegal immigration that ended with his deportation from the United States.

In August last year, Singh paid Rs 42 lakh to a travel agent who promised him a work visa for the US. His journey took him through multiple countries including Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico, before he reached the US border. Along the way, Singh and other migrants faced extreme conditions, including walking through rugged hills and surviving on minimal food. 

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Singh recalled a terrifying moment when the boat they were travelling on nearly capsized in rough seas. “Was about to capsize in the sea but we survived,” he said. He also saw a person die in the Panama jungle and another drowning at sea.

Singh’s journey was filled with false promises. The agent had told him he would be taken to Europe first, but instead, he and others endured a harsh and uncertain route. “Sometimes we got rice. Sometimes, we did not get anything to eat. We used to get biscuits,” Singh shared.

Singh's ordeal ended when he was deported along with 103 other illegal immigrants from various parts of India. This marked the first batch of deportations under the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The deportees included 33 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, and smaller groups from other states, including Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. 

Among the deportees were 19 women and 13 minors, including a 4-year-old boy and two girls aged five and seven. 

Singh and the other deportees were transported back to their native places in police vehicles after arriving at Amritsar airport. 
(with PTI inputs)