Dollar Dreams, Despair

Inside India’s underground migration network luring youth to danger and despair thousands from Punjab and Haryana risk life and fortune on illegal Donkey Route’ to reach the US as authorities crack down on amulti-crore human smuggling racket.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

In the rural heartlands of India's agricultural strongholds-Punjab I of India's and Haryana-the dream of a better life abroad is driving thousands of youths women and children into the arms of a deadly underground network.

Known as the Donkey Route (or Dunki), this path to the US and other Western nations involves perilous journeys across continents-through jungles, deserts, rivers, and illegal border crossings-fueled by desperation, deceit, and dollar hopes.

Reports from villages in Panipat, Kaithal, Karnal, Jind, and Kurukshetra of Haryana reveal the shocking reality: nearly every village has doz ens-sometimes hundreds of youths who have taken the illegal path. In Panipat's Ahar, Karnal's Padwalo, Kaithal's Matore and Kurukshetra's Nawarsi village alone, over 500 youths have migrated via this method. With many cannot return for years, forcing elaborate arrangements to bring their spouses over via Nepal or other countries to marry abroad and even arrange the illegal way for their wife and children to reach them.

Despite ongoing crackdowns by centre and state governments and deports by US authorities, the network of illegal immigration thrives in both the state, managed by a well-oiled nexus of human traffickers, illegal travel agents, and cross-border syndicates.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INDUSTRY

Investigations led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and state police are now beginning to expose the massive scale of this shadow industry with around 15 districts of the states and joint capital of Chandigarh has hundreds of travel agents who deal with the illegal immigration.