MANY PUNJABIS CAMP AT MEXICO BORDER

Fear of arrest and deportation high, say people who have returned from US - Says India must 'stand up for the rights, dignity of its citizens'

- HARPREET BAJWA @Chandigarh

MANY people from Punjab currently wait at the Mexican border, fearing arrest and deportation if they make the illegal crossing into the United States, according to Indian illegals who have returned home.

While there is no official confirmation about this claim, a few deportees said the prospective migrants who managed to reach Mexico recently are currently biding their time in towns along the US border.

They were apparently on their way out of India as the first of the three flights from the US carrying deportees touched down at the Amritsar airport. The prospects of the waiting people look bleak as they may not be able to stay in Mexico for a longer period or book their way back home.

According to sources, "The reason is that the agents demand more money to get them back home. They are asking them to fend for themselves if they can't afford it. They don't know how long they have to be in Mexico. They are just waiting and watching."

Sources said the new batches face another issue—their status in Mexico.

An officer explained on condition of anonymity that there are three kinds of travellers from Punjab.