Jalandhar man missing after migrants’ boat capsizes while attempting to enter UK via ‘dunki route’

His younger brother, Ashwinder Singh, revealed that the family was unaware of his plan to travel by boat. “He last spoke to us on September 29 but never mentioned anything about the boat journey. We found out only later that he was among those on the boat that capsized in the English Channel,” he said, adding that there were five men from Punjab on the same boat and that the four others were fine.

Arvinder’s family members came to know about the incident on October 2 when a man from Chohana village in Kapurthala who was also on the same boat contacted them. He informed them that everyone on board was rescued except Arvinder. The Kapurthala man also confirmed that five Punjabis were on the boat.

Initially, Arvinder and the group had tried to cross borders through a truck, but the driver reportedly refused. They then decided to attempt the risky crossing via a small boat from France to the UK, sources said.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangerous and illegal “dunki route”, used by many aspiring migrants in Punjab in hopes of reaching Western countries. Despite multiple past incidents of boat capsize and lost lives, such perilous journeys continue, as the trend of risking lives through such means shows little sign of slowing down.

Adampur MLA Sukhwinder Singh Kotli has assured the family that he will raise the matter with both the state and central governments to seek assistance in locating Arvinder and getting further information through diplomatic channels.