Chandigarh:
Jaspal Singh, who was among the 104 deported brought on an American plane on Wednesday, said that his hands and legs were handcuffed throughout the trip and discouraged only after landing at the Amritsar airport.
Singh, 36, who comes from the Hardorwal village in the Gurdaspur district, said he was captured by the border patrol of the United States on January 24.
An American military plane that transported 104 illegal immigrants from several states landed here on Wednesday, the first lot of Indians deported by Donald Trump’s government as part of a repression against illegal immigrants.
Of these, 33 each was from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, fountains said.
Nineteen women and 13 children, including a four -year -old boy and two girls, five and seven, were among those deported, they said.
Punjab deportees were taken to their native places in police vehicles from Amritsar airport.
After arriving in his hometown on Wednesday night, Jaspal said he was disappointed by a travel agent, since he was promised to be sent to the United States legally.
“I had asked the agent to send me through an adequate visa. But he deceived me,” Jaspal said. He said the agreement was made at RS 30 Lakh.
Jaspal said he arrived in Brazil by air in July last year. He said he was promised that the next travel stage, to the United States, would also be by air. However, he was “deceived” by his agent, who forced him to cross the border illegally.
After staying for six months in Brazil, he crossed the border to the United States, but was arrested by the border patrol of the United States.
He was kept there in custody for 11 days and then sent back home.
Jaspal said he didn’t know he was being deported to India.
“We thought they were taking us to another camp. Then, a police officer told us that they were taking them to India.
“We were handcuffed and our legs were chained. They opened at Amritsar airport,” he said.
Jaspal said he was shattered by deportation. “A large sum was spent. The money was borrowed.” Previously, Jaspal’s cousin, Jasbir Singh, said: “We got to know his deportation through the media on Wednesday morning.”
On deportations, he said, “these are problems of governments. When we go abroad, we have great dreams for a better future for our families. Now they have been destroyed.” Two more deported, who arrived in their hometown in Hoshiarpur on Wednesday night, also shared their terrible experience for which they passed to reach the United States.
Harwinder Singh, who comes from Tahli’s village in Hoshiarpur, said he went to the United States in August last year.
He was taken to Qatar, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua and then Mexico.
From Mexico, he together with others were taken to the United States, he said.
“We crossed the hills. A boat, which carried him along with other people, was about to overtur at sea, but we survived,” he told the journalists.
He said he saw a person die in Panama’s jungle and drowning at sea.
Singh said his travel agent had promised him that they would first take him to Europe and then to Mexico. He said RS 42 Lakh for his trip to the United States.
“Sometimes we have rice. Sometimes, we can’t eat anything. We used to take cookies,” he said.
Another Punjab sport talked about the ‘Burro Route’ used to take them to the United States.
“Our clothes worth RS 30,000-35,000 was stolen on the road,” he said.
Deported said they were first taken to Italy and then to Latin America.
He said they took a 15-hour boat ride and were forced to walk 40-45 kms.
“We crossed 17-18 hills. If one slipped, then there would be no possibility of surviving … we have seen a lot. If someone was injured, he let him die. We saw corpses,” he said.
Early in the day, the C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the United States Air Force landed at Amritsar airport.
The American action occurred a few days before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington for broad conversations with President Donald Trump.
The deportees were interrogated within the airport terminal building by different government agencies, including the Punjab police, and several state and central intelligence agencies to verify if they have a criminal record.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a feed union).
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