Legs and hands tied: Deportees recount 40-hour flight back from the US under harsh conditions
CHANDIGARH: During the 40-hour flight back home, the 104 illegal Indian immigrants deported from the US were not allowed to move from their seats, and their hands and legs were cuffed the entire time.
They were only allowed to use the washroom after repeated requests and had to drag themselves to reach it.
Calling the journey home more mentally traumatic than physically exhausting, 40-year-old Harwinder Singh from Tahli village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur said they could not eat properly during the flight as they were handcuffed.
“The crew members and officials of the US military plane forced us to eat while wearing handcuffs. Despite our repeated requests to them to remove the handcuffs, they did not listen as it fell on deaf ears.”
Further narrating the trauma, Singh said that he and others endured it for nearly 40 hours on the flight. The deportees were not allowed to move from their seats, and their hands and legs remained cuffed throughout the journey. They were unshackled only after the plane landed at Amritsar International Airport.
“We had to make countless requests to the crew for permission to use the restroom. We then had to drag ourselves to the lavatory, where the crew would open the door and push us inside,” he alleged.
Singh was among the 104 illegal immigrants deported by the US in the first batch to India.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Davinderjit Singh from Jalandhar, who was deported and returned home last night, has reportedly gone missing. He left on his bike in the morning, and his family has been unable to find him since.
Jaspal Singh from Hardorawal village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur shared his ordeal, saying he was defrauded by a travel agent who had promised to send him to the US legally.
“I had asked the agent to send me with a proper visa, but he deceived me. A huge sum was spent. The deal was done for Rs 30 lakh,” he said.
Jaspal said he flew to Brazil in July last year, believing the next leg of his journey to the US would also be by air. However, he claimed his agent “duped” him and forced him to cross the border illegally.
After staying in Brazil for six months, he crossed into the US but was arrested by the US Border Patrol. He was held in custody for 11 days before being sent back home.
Recounting the flight back home he said that at first, they were unaware they were being taken to India.
“We thought we were being taken to another camp. Then an officer told us that we were being taken to India," he added.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (USBP) released a video showing illegal immigrants handcuffed and chained at the ankles. USBP Chief Michael W. Banks shared the video of the deportation on social media platform X and wrote
“USBP and partners successfully returned illegal aliens to India, marking the farthest deportation flight yet using military transport.”
“This mission underscores our commitment to enforcing immigration laws and ensuring swift removals. If you cross illegally, you will be removed,” the post further read.
Daler Singh of Salampur in Amritsar said that they were arrested by the US border Patrol when they tried to enter the country.
“We were taken to the camp and kept there. After a few days, we were told that we were being released. Then we were handcuffed, put on a bus, and after a half-hour ride, we reached the airport. We were then put on a plane with handcuffs. We thought we were being taken to another place in the US, but on the plane, we realised we were being flown back to India.”
“I asked the agent to send me to the US legally, and he told me he would get me a visa from Brazil. So, I went from here to Dubai on August 15 last year, then to Brazil, where I stayed for two months. From there, I travelled through the Dunki route to the US via the jungle in Panama. It was a three-day walk in the jungle, as we were as we were packed off. Besides charging fees, the mafia takes away our mobile phones and clothes. I saw skeletons in the jungle. If you fall ill or get bitten by a snake or insect, they leave you there to die. The agents told me one thing, but it was all a lie,” Daler Singh said.
