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Lovepreet Kaur, who was deported yesterday on with her son. (Express Photo)
On January 2, Lovepreet Kaur and her 10-year-old lad began a travel to the United States from Punjab filled with hopes of a amended future. More than a period later, each those hopes were shattered arsenic she and her lad were among the 104 deportees who landed successful Amritsar Wednesday connected a US Air Force flight. To marque matters, worse, she had allegedly paid an astronomical sum of Rs 1 crore to an cause for what was promised to beryllium a nonstop way to the US.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Lovepreet, 30, a nonmigratory of the Bholath country of the Kapurthala district, narrated however she and a fewer others were forced to undertake a ‘dunki’ route, traversing respective countries. “The cause told our household they would instrumentality america straight to the US. But what we endured was acold from what we expected,” Lovepreet said arsenic tears rolled down her cheeks.
“We were flown to Medellin successful Colombia and kept determination for astir 2 weeks earlier being moved to San Salvador (capital of El Salvador) successful a flight. From there, we walked for implicit 3 hours to Guatemala, past travelled by taxis to the Mexican border. After staying successful Mexico for 2 days, we yet crossed implicit to the US connected January 27,” she said.
The ordeal took a crook erstwhile the US authorities detained Lovepreet and others aft crossing the border. “When we arrived successful the US, they asked america to region our SIM cards and adjacent tiny ornaments similar earrings and bangles. I had already mislaid my luggage successful the erstwhile country, truthful I had thing to deposit with them. We were kept successful a campy for 5 days, and connected February 2, we were chained from the waist to our legs, with our hands cuffed. Only the children were spared,” she recalled.
Lovepreet was peculiarly disturbed by the deficiency of connection during the 40-hour travel successful the subject aircraft, during which the deportees were not informed of their destination. “No 1 told america wherever we were being taken, and erstwhile we yet arrived successful India, it was a shock. We were told astatine the Amritsar airdrome that we had reached India, but it felt similar our dreams were shattered successful an instant,” she said.
‘Family took indebtedness to wage agent’
For Lovepreet, she was hopeless to determination to the US for a amended aboriginal for her son. “I had hopes for my son’s aboriginal and a caller beingness successful the US. My household took a immense indebtedness to wage the agent, hoping we would person a amended future. Now, everything is destroyed. We were told we would beryllium with our relatives successful California soon, but now, I americium near with thing but pain.”
Lovepreet and her household ain 1.5 acres of onshore successful India, wherever she lives with her hubby and aged parents-in-law. She firmly believes that the authorities should instrumentality enactment against the unscrupulous question agents who duped her and galore others. “The authorities needs to get our wealth backmost from these criminals who promised america a caller beingness but near america stranded successful overseas lands.”
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On the uncertain future, she said, “I wanted the champion for my son, but now, I don’t cognize what volition happen. I tin lone anticipation that justness volition beryllium done, and others won’t person to look what we did.”
Meanwhile, a constabulary serviceman contiguous astatine her spot said her communicative should service arsenic a achy reminder of the perils of amerciable migration and the outgo of mendacious promises made by quality traffickers.
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