Will Trump's Border Crackdown Put An End To 'Dunki Routes' ? (image:x.com)
Ever since Donald Trump takes charge as President, the United States has been adopting stringent measures to curb illegal immigration. The Trump administration has been sending back the illegal migrants to their respective countries through military planes.
On Wednesday morning, a US military aircraft carrying more than 100 illegal Indian migrants arrived in Punjab’s Amritsar. The authorities are currently undertaking steps to process the deportees.
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Dunki Route : Dangerous Course To American Dream
Making it in America, land of opportunities has been part of dreams of innumerable Indians since time immemorial. To achieve it, many has chosen ‘dunki route’, also known in English ‘donkey routes’. The term takes its origin to the Punjabi word “dunki” which means “to move from one place to another” and it has also depicted in the popular Shah Rukh Khan film Dunki.
The ‘dunki route’ includes crossing the US-Mexico border through unsanctioned pathways consisting difficult terrains, treacherous jungles, and rough waters. The travel covers many stops at Central American countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In these countries, Indian citizens procure visas comparatively easy. Once they reach the US-Mexico border, agents equip them with fake backstories such as economic hardship to persecution over religious or LGBTQ+ identity, so that even if they get caught while crossing, they could ask for asylum claims.
For illegal migration services, agents charge around $50,000 to $100,000 per person, which nearly meant Rs 40 lakh to 80 lakh. The journey is arduous and not everyone survives in the journey. Despite the risk associated with the path – deportation and legal troubles – migrants are still willing to put efforts.
“The demand for US visas, even through unofficial routes, is as high as ever. Many young people from Punjab and Haryana are willing to take the risk, driven by the promise of better opportunities and the American dream,” a Jalandhar-based travel agent told Indian Express. Another agent told the publication that socio-economic challenges triggers the urge for migration. Amidst the danger resides in the move, foreign employment and education offers a great chance of survival from the local hardships, prompting them to take these chances.
Another route facilitating entry into the US is through Bahamas. The sea routes from the Bahamas into the US is dangerous as well. As per the Indian Express report, a new trend to reach US has been through Canada. For the last 5-6 years, illegal immigrants are opting US-Canada border, even though Canada has tightened immigration laws.
Trump’s Crackdown On Illegal Immigration
The crackdown on illegal migration has been a signature campaign point for Trump. The administration is committed to restrict immigration in the US and to deport all those living in the country without proper documents. Within hours of taking office, Trump shut down the CBP one app that facilitated legal entry of immigrants into the US by granting them work eligibility and also abolished birthright citizenship.
After Trump’s inauguration, the Indian government has agreed to take back all its citizens residing in the US illegally. As per a Bloomberg report, both countries had identified some 18,000 illegal Indian migrants who were to be sent back home.
Last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at a press conference in Washington DC that New Delhi was open to taking back undocumented Indians and was in the process of verifying those in the United States who could be deported to India. “We are very firmly opposed to illegal mobility and illegal migration”, said him.
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“We have always taken the view that if there are any of our citizens, who are not here legally, if we are sure that they are our citizens, we have always been open to their legitimate return to India. So it’s not a position unique to the US,” Jaishankar added.
As per Pew Research Center data, approximately 725,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the US as of 2022, which makes them the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador.
