CHANDIGARH: In recent years, an increasing number of young individuals from Punjab have fallen prey to unscrupulous travel agents exploiting their desire to migrate abroad. Whether through the so-called ‘Dunky Route,’ student visas, or fraudulent marriages, these agents have capitalised on the desperation of youth.
Over the past three years, Punjab has seen the registration of 3,225 First Information Reports (FIRs) against travel agents. Of these, more than 1,100 cases have been filed under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012.
A closer look at the data reveals that the highest number of cases was registered by the SAS Nagar Police (398), followed by the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate (375), Hoshiarpur Police (293), and Patiala Police (235). Other notable police stations include the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate (228), the NRI Wing of the Punjab Police (190), Amritsar Police Commissionerate (188), Jalandhar (Rural) Police (141), and SBS Nagar Police (127).
An analysis of these cases further highlights that 1,117 were registered under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012, 783 under the Emigration Act, and 1,325 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate recorded the highest number of cases under the Human Smuggling Act (294), followed by Amritsar Police Commissionerate (141) and Hoshiarpur Police (110). Under the Emigration Act, the SAS Nagar Police registered 287 cases, followed by Ludhiana Police Commissionerate (161) and the NRI Wing (75). Under IPC sections, Patiala Police topped the list with 198 cases, followed by the NRI Wing (115) and Hoshiarpur Police (111).
Talking to this newspaper, Additional DGP (NRI Wing) Parveen Sinha said, “Punjab is the only state in the country where the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012, is enforced. We take stringent action against travel agents upon receiving complaints. In the past three years, over 3,000 cases have been registered across the state.”
Speaking on the issue, Capt. SP Singh, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Immigration and Education Consultants (ALIEC), said, “As per the Act, travel agents are required to display their license number prominently outside their offices and in advertisements. However, illegal agents are predominantly active on social media platforms, making it difficult to trace their backgrounds.
This makes it easier for them to deceive vulnerable individuals. We urge that advertisements on social media be regulated under this Act and be subject to scrutiny.”
“The situation calls for an understanding of these agents' modus operandi. The Act must be amended to keep pace with evolving tactics. Currently, there are approximately 5,000 to 7,000 registered agents, but the number of illegal agents remains uncertain,” Singh added.
Jatinder Benipal, President of ALIEC, said that the majority of deported individuals linked to illegal migration were victims of unregistered agents. These agents evade the regulatory oversight set by the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Rules, 2013. “Illegal migration is primarily facilitated by unregistered agents, not by licensed professionals who comply with the legal framework,” Benipal said.
Sources revealed that three flights landing in Amritsar on February 5, 15, and 16 were carrying a significant number of deportees from Punjab.
A total of 333 illegal immigrants were deported, of whom 126 (37.8%) were from Punjab. Other deportees included 110 from Haryana (33%), 74 from Gujarat (22.2%), and smaller numbers from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand.
Among the deportees, 262 were men, 42 were women, and 29 were children (18 boys and 11 girls) returning from the United States with their families.
