Sold land, spent lakhs on agents: Families in distress as kin deported from US

Several families are facing financial uncertainties after their kin were sent back to India, barely a week after the new United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order to deport all illegal migrants back to their respective countries.

Akashdeep Singh and Akash, hailing from Punjab and Haryana respectively, were among 104 illegal Indian migrants who landed in Amritsar on February 5 after being deported from the US.

Akashdeep's father claimed that they had spent over Rs 60 lakh to secure a bright future for their son. Belonging from Rajatal, a village near India-Pakistan border, Akashdeep was caught by US authorities on January 23.

Akashdeep spent seven months in Dubai before going to the US with the help of an agent. He had called his father on Wednesday after landing in India, assuring him that he was safe.

However, his family said that they were facing severe financial stress as they were struggling to recover from the massive debt that they incurred while sending their son abroad.

Akashdeep's father, Swaran Singh, revealed that they mortgaged their land, took loans and even sold their jewellery and cattle to finance his trip.

"We spent over Rs 60 lakh to send him to the US. We took loans and pledged everything we had," Swaran Singh told India Today TV.

The story is no different for 20-year-old Akash's family in Haryana's Karnal, who sold off their ancestral land to fund his travels. Since Akash insisted on going to the US, his elder brother Subham sold 2.5 acres of their land to pay Rs 65 lakh to an agent.

Families Call For Government Intervention

Following their son's return to India, Akashdeep's family has apealled to the government for financial assistance.

"If my son had found a job in India, there would have been no need to send him abroad. The government must provide employment to those who have returned," Swaran Singh added.

Echoing Swaran Singh's sentiments, Akashdeep's uncle Gurpreet Singh demanded the Centre to step in and support the struggling families.

"This deportation has brought immense stress to families who sacrificed everything for a better livelihood. The way these youths are being sent back is unfair," he said.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Akash left home 10 months ago, only to land in US on January 26 after jumping over Mexico's border wall.

Akash's family claimed that he was caught soon after, and they couldn't reach him until yesterday, when he informed them in the evening that he was being sent back to India.

Akash's brother Subham demanded strict action against agents who were duping innocent Indians by providing them with a better future abroad.

"The government must take action against these agents. No one should have to go through this again," Shubham told India Today TV.

No Plans To Send Him Abroad Again, Says Akashdeep's Family

After their harrowing experience, Akashdeep's family has decided against sending him abroad again. Instead, they are banking on government initiatives to help deportees relocate in India with proper jobs.

"This deportation has brought lot of stress to the families and must be helped. The family gave up everything to send their son to US for a better livelihood. The way he was deported back to India was wrong," village headman Balkar Singh told India Today TV.

Additional inputs from Kamaldeep in Haryana