Deported and dejected as dollar dreams turn to dust

A family sat in mourning in Tahli village of Punjab's Hoshiarpur. Not for a life lost, but for a dream that died too soon. Kuljinder Kaur's voice quivered as she spoke of her husband Harwinder Singh, who was deported from US after risking everything to build a better life.

"We paid Rs 42 lakh to an agent who promised safe passage," she said Wednesday, wiping away tears. "We took the amount on loan, believing he would earn enough to repay it." Harwinder is back, and the debt remained - a mountain impossible to scale. Villagers gathered around Kuljinder, offering comfort.

Harwinder was not alone. Across Punjab's villages, families woke up to harsh reality of human trafficking networks operating in plain sight.

In Darapur village, Prempal Singh Saini was reeling from the news that his son Sukhpal has been deported. Sukhpal, a hotel management graduate, had legally moved to Italy last year. But unknown to his family, he had attempted to reach US, only to be sent back.

"I had no idea he was even on his way to the US," Prempal said. "He must have thought he could earn more there. Now, he's back to nothing."

From Kapurthala to Hoshiarpur, eight families confronted similar fates. One of them, Lovepreet, a young mother, was deported with her 10-year-old son Prabhjot.

Hopes sold, lives in debt

The fallout from these deportations is more than just emotional - it is financial ruin. In Fatehgarh Sahib, Jeet Singh spoke of his son Jaswinder, who borrowed Rs 50 lakh to reach US. "Now, with his return, we face nothing but debt," he said. "We had sold land, borrowed from friends. How will we ever repay?"

In Patiala, Ranjit Singh had similar hopes for his 18-year-old son Amrit. The family had five acres of land and a dream of a prosperous future. Now, after spending lakhs on a failed migration, Ranjit said: "We will never think of sending him abroad again."

At Amritsar airport, the scene was a painful mix of relief and heartbreak. Swaran Singh stood among dozens of anxious relatives, waiting for his son Akashdeep, who had been deported. Akashdeep had first left for Dubai, where he worked as a truck driver. But, longing for a better future, he contacted an agent who promised him passage to US - for a staggering Rs 55 lakh. Singh sold almost all of his 2.5 acre to fund the journey.

"My son never returned home from Dubai. He went to US," he said. "Now, he's back, but we are left with nothing."

Nearby, a family waited for their daughter, who had attempted the same perilous journey. Her uncle, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared their story. "She left for Spain in Jan, then moved to Mexico before trying to enter US. It was all arranged by the man she was to marry."

The groom's family had paid for her migration, expecting her to start a new life in America. "But instead, she was sent back," the uncle rued.

Return to bleak future

The heartbreak stretches beyond Punjab. In Gujarat, the dream of America has crumbled for the deportees, including Ketul Patel, a 40-year-old diamond worker from Patan.

Five months ago, Ketul sold his house and borrowed Rs 50 lakh to take his family - his wife and two children - on a journey across borders. They arrived in US believing they had left their struggles behind. But US authorities had other plans.

Back home, Ketul's mother Hiraba Patel struggled to accept the truth. "We had already sold our farmland to buy a house in Surat," she said. "Now, they have nothing left. What will they do?"

In Mehsana, a Patel family awaits return of their son and his wife, who left in 2018. They believed their son's birth in US would ensure their safety. Instead, all three, husband, wife, and their American-born child, are being sent back. "They took a Rs 75 lakh loan to get there," a relative said. "They paid back some, but they still owe Rs 40 lakh. Now, they are broken, and keep talking about ending their lives."

(Inputs from IP Singh in Jalandhar, Bharat Khanna in Patiala, Vibhor Mohan & Yudhvir Rana in Amritsar, Ashish Chauhan in Ahmedabad)


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