Flashback to 2023: A flight to US via Nicaragua that was aborted in France

Speaking to The Indian Express on condition of anonymity, a 35-year-old man from a central Gujarat district who was on the plane returned from France said, “The images of the deportation on the military plane and the narration of the deportees were disturbing… While we were also detained at the airport terminal in Vatry for four days and subjected to constant questioning, at least there were no handcuffs. The local authorities allowed us to deboard and even gave us a place to rest in the terminal building as it was not a regular airport. Since the Indian embassy was granted access later, meals were taken care of, even for children travelling on the flight.”

After returning, the man restarted his business that he had wrapped up before paying a local agent in Gujarat a hefty sum of money to arrange a “safe passage” to the US through central America. He says, “I had decided to wind up my business before leaving in December 2023 to arrange funds to pay the agents. Luckily, we returned mid-way from France, and so, almost 40 per cent of our deal money was saved as we did not pay the agents further. It has helped me purchase my wares to restart my local business. The money is taken in tranches: the advance is for flight tickets, one when you have reached halfway to the US, and then the rest when you finally reach the US. Those who were deported by the US Department of Homeland Security have lost everything as the last instalment has to be paid before the crossover, or they (agents) threaten to shoot you near the border.”

Although feeling “deterred” after the recent deportations by the Donald Trump administration, the man says, “We did what we thought was best for the future of our family. I do regret not making it, as many people from our villages have successfully settled down in the US for several years. We were unlucky, or maybe it was not meant for us; I have started from scratch after returning here.”

The Gujarat CID Crime registered an FIR in January 2024 against 14 people on the charges of human trafficking and causing disappearance of evidence for trying to send over 60 people from Gujarat to the US illegally.

The police said four of the accused were yet to be arrested. “The first chargesheet has been filed in the court and summons have been issued to the 10 accused… The charges are yet to be framed. Four accused are yet to be arrested in the case,” an officer said Saturday. The court will take up the matter next on February 17.

In the January 2024 FIR, registered on a complaint filed by an inspector at CID Crime’s economic offences branch, P J Kharsan, the police accused the agents of a “well-planned conspiracy to obtain financial benefits of crores of rupees and luring the passengers to get employment in America while putting the passengers’ lives at risk.”

A 38-year-old from the same district who was on Legend Airlines said the American dream was in pursuit of “quality of life”. The man, who is self-employed in a technical service, says, “Why did I decide to take this treacherous route?… Because at least two dozen people in our villages have done it before, been through a few turmoils and are settled in a much better life there. We seek opportunities and a better life… In the US, you can start even as a plumber or janitor or waiter and earn much more money and dignity. These jobs are not looked down upon like in our country. If you have some qualification or skill, you eventually find a better opportunity there.”

The man said that not having requisite “credentials” for a valid entry into the US forces many to take the “dunki route”. He said, “Most people who are willing to reach the US—or Canada as back-up—are aware that it would take a few weeks or months to make it to the destination. I was aware that it would mean delayed stay in intermediate countries or a detention later in the US even if I crossed over without catching the eye of border security… I had mentally prepared for at least five years—from gathering funds and bracing for the challenges to also slowly polishing my look to fit in; because I never was among the creme de la creme lot that can fulfil the American dream by enrolling in top universities… People who choose this route are those without credentials to make a legal entry…”

The man added that despite deportations, several people make another attempt if they are able to shell out the money. “After the Legend airlines returned to India, a man from Punjab who was deported along with us had made it to the US by April 2024 using another route… Yet, not everyone can be successful there and many of the immigrants are also exploited by those employing them during the interim period of immigration hearings. But one cannot deny that the success stories bring temptation for other youngsters who feel that opportunities in the US have been better for several decades…,” he said.

A woman from north Gujarat who was among the deportees said she was travelling solo and had “complete confidence” of making it as the agents were “recommended” by those who had already made it to the US. Requesting anonymity, the woman said, “I had planned to take up jobs as a nanny or househelp with Indian families. It was indeed devastating to return after losing the money that was already paid to the agents. My family had mortgaged our land here to make payments and we were confident that I would have settled in a few months…”

The passengers said the entire racket worked on promises and had been a well-oiled one, although shrouded in secrecy. The 38-year-old added, “The route of our travel from Managua was not revealed to us but we knew it would not be an easy journey. It is a network that operates on promises… We are told about the next destination only when the agents feel it is safe to move… If caught mid-way and deported, the agents involved charge people only for the journey till they were caught. But I cannot believe those saying that they were unaware that the agents were facilitating their illegal entry to the US. Everyone taking this route knows they are without a valid US visa… It is true that agents do not value the lives of immigrants in their quest for the money.”

What after deportation?

An immigration expert from Vadodara told The Indian Express that deported illegal immigrants might never be granted a valid visa. “Those who are deported as illegal immigrants are most likely to not have another opportunity to return on a valid visa. They are termed ineligible for a period decided by the US government, which could be between five to 10 years. In most cases, their applications will continue to be rejected for life unless they are able to revoke the ineligibility… Those who were deported from France will face visa refusals for French and Shengen visas due to the strict regulations in the EU region,” the expert said.

Within India, the deportees do not face any charges. A senior Gujarat police officer who has dealt with cases of illegal immigration said, “The deportees are not accused under any law in India as they have technically not indulged in any criminal activity in India. Unless there is a case where the deportee has used fake identity documents to facilitate his or her exit from India, there is no case against them. In fact, they are treated as victims of the immigration racket… The police can certainly probe the network of immigration agents involved in trafficking people through illegal routes to the US if any deportee comes forth to share information about it.”