Two more flights from the US carrying illegal Indian immigrants landed at Amritsar Airport on February 15 and February 16. While the flight that landed on February 15 carried 116 Indians, the flight that landed on February 16 carried 112 Indians. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had made arrangements for food and accommodations for the deportees. He also raised objections over the landing of a US Military flight at Amritsar Airport and not other airports in India. CM Mann also slammed PM Modi and took a dig at PM Modi saying America sending Indians in shackles as a 'Gift from Trump'. Among those 116 deported people, one was Harpreet Singh.
Harpreet Singh, 23, hails from Kanchhampura village in the Majitha constituency of Amritsar. Harpreet Singh is from a poor family in the village of Ghansham Pura. He has two younger siblings. Harpreet's house is very poor condition as well. His father is disabled, and his mother works as a domestic helper. His younger brother works in a salon, while his sister is still studying. To improve the family’s financial situation, the family took a loan to send Harpreet Singh abroad.
How did Harpreet Singh enter the US?
Harpreet Singh had gone to Italy last year in July. Then planned to go to America through an agent. His companions in Italy gave him the agent’s contact. They sent money to the agent, only to find out that they were being taken to America through illegal means. Harpreet Singh and his family explained that the trip had cost them nearly Rs 40 lakhs. They borrowed money from their village and relatives to send their son abroad to improve their financial situation, but little did they know that it would worsen their circumstances.
Interacting with the media, Harpreet shared, "I went to Italy from Delhi Airport by air. I stayed in Italy for 3 months. Thereafter, I went to Spain. From Spain, I went to Salvador. From there, I went to Guatemala. There were 12 to 13 people with me. Many of them were from Haryana. They crossed to the US but I was left behind as it was revealed that my 'donker' (agent) did not transfer the money to people who helped cross the border. Then I paid more to the Donker so that I could get into the US. I paid a total of Rs 40 lakh."
"From Guatemala, I then went to Mexico City. From there, I was taken to Tijuana. I stayed for 24 hours in Tijuana and then crossed the border and entered the United States. However, after being arrested by US authorities, I was taken to California and was kept in the detention center. The authorities took everything and even asked us to strip. After being forced to strip our clothes, we were given only a T-shirt and shoes without laces. Then, they switched on the AC, and that too on freezing mode," narrated Harpreet Singh.
Harpreet Singh mentioned that he didn’t know the agent’s name but said that the agent’s phone number is now unreachable. They were caught on January 24. Harpreet Singh shared that it was a mafia-run route, and there were many hardships along the way. Sometimes they had to sleep hungry in the jungle. If they spoke out, they were punished, and often there were fights and beatings. They were subjected to torture in US detention centre and after several days, they were informed that Indian Prime Minister Modi was arriving in America.
They were then moved to a second camp, where they continued to face difficulties. Eventually, they were taken on the plane back to India, but Harpreet said that their hands were cuffed with chains. Harpreet outlined that when there was 1 hour left before landing, the US authorities removed the handcuffs and chains.
Harpreet Singh also mentioned that a seven-year-old girl from Gujarat was among those deported, and they were not allowed to speak to anyone. They went through an unimaginable nightmare. Harpreet and his family are now demanding justice from the government and legal action against the agents responsible for sending them illegally abroad.
During this time, Harpreet Singh's father and the village head (Sarpanch) spoke about his background. Harpreet's father, a former kabaddi player, suffered a leg injury during a match, which left him disabled. The family is very poor. His mother works hard, while his younger brother works at a salon and his sister studies. They took out loans to send Harpreet abroad, but now they are in even worse financial conditions. The family has appealed to the government for help, urging action against the agents who misled and exploited them.