Indians entering US via 'Dunki' deported: What is this illegal route?

Trump administration has intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly through the high-risk 'donkey route' that many Indians continue to take in pursuit of the 'American dream'

United States military aircraft, the C-17, recently landed in Amritsar, India, carrying 104 Indian nationals deported for illegal entry into the United States. This marked the first such deportation flight under US President Donald Trump’s administration. As the migrants landed back in India, many shared harrowing details of their journey through the ‘dunki’ route, a dangerous and illegal method of crossing borders.

 

Among the 104 deported Indians, there were 33 from Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three from Maharashtra, three from Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh. The group also included 19 women and 13 minors, with the youngest being a four-year-old boy.

 

 

Many deportees remained unaware they were being sent back to India until just before departure. Speaking to news agency PTI, Singh, from Hardorwal village in Gurdaspur, recounted being handcuffed and shackled throughout the flight. Restraints were only removed upon arrival in Amritsar.

 

Jaspal, another deportee, said he had paid Rs 30 lakh to an agent who assured him legal entry into the US. Instead, he found himself stranded in Brazil for six months before making the treacherous overland journey to the US, only to be arrested by Border Patrol and held in detention for 11 days.

 

Harwinder Singh, from Hoshiarpur, described 15-hour boat rides, crossing 40-45 km on foot, and surviving near-drownings.

 

The mass deportation signals the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly through the high-risk ‘donkey route’ that many Indians continue to take in pursuit of the American dream. Here is a closer look at dunki and understanding what it entails.

 

What is the ‘dunki’ route?

The term ‘dunki’, derived from the Punjabi idiom meaning ‘to hop from place to place’, refers to an illegal immigration technique known as ‘donkey flights’.

 

This method involves crossing borders through a series of covert stops in multiple countries, often facilitated by agents who charge exorbitant fees. These agents may offer a range of services, from providing fake documents to smuggling individuals through ship containers or hidden compartments in vehicles.

 

The process typically begins with migrants obtaining a tourist visa for European Union Schengen countries, allowing them to move freely across 26 nations. Once in the EU, consultants help them illegally enter countries like the UK or the US using forged documents or by hiding in vehicles.

 

While the dunki method can be used to enter any country, the US, Canada, and the UK remain the most sought-after destinations for Indian migrants.

 

Why risk the dunki route?

Post-independence, many Indian families who migrated to developed nations found better social, economic, and political conditions, creating a lasting aspiration for others to follow suit. This trend has only intensified over the years, with both legal and illegal migration on the rise.

 

The allure of a better life drives many to take these risks. The promise of higher incomes, greater opportunities, and an improved standard of living, often encapsulated in the idea of the ‘American Dream’, fuels the desire to migrate. For many, this dream is worth the dangers and financial sacrifices.

In other cases, migrants may be “cheated” by agents into crossing borders illegally after paying high fees.

 

Some sell ancestral land or other assets to pay agents, only to find themselves exploited further. Agents often withhold passports or demand additional payments, leaving migrants vulnerable and trapped. 

The dunki route, what it entails, reason why people may embark on it, and what they may find after entering a foreign country was detailed in Raj Kumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’, a 2023 Bollywood film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, and Boman Irani.

 

Indians fifth-largest group of US illegal migrants

According to the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), Indians are the fifth-largest group of illegal migrants entering the US via its southwest border. Between October 2022 and September 2023, nearly 97,000 Indians were caught attempting to cross illegally, with over 30,000 detained at the Canada border and 41,770 at the Mexico border. The majority of these migrants hail from Punjab and Gujarat, states with a long history of migration to Western countries.

 

Risks of illegal migration

The ‘dunki route’ is fraught with dangers. Migrants face the risk of capture, imprisonment, and deportation, as was the case in the US. The journey itself is perilous, with harsh weather conditions, rugged terrains, and limited access to food and water.

 

Many also fall victim to exploitation, with agents extorting money or abandoning them mid-journey. While migrant smuggling is distinct from human trafficking, the two crimes can intersect, further endangering those involved. Recent deportation flights also show that these perilous journeys can sometimes amount to nothing.