The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), a global, non-partisan organisation serving the Punjabi diaspora, is highlighting the serious consequences of illegal immigration and urging both the Indian and Punjab governments to actively identify and dismantle human smuggling networks. “It is very unfortunate that nearly three decades after the tragic incident of December 26, 1996, near Malta, which was one of the deadliest human smuggling disasters in history; young Punjabis continue to risk their lives by undertaking perilous journeys through illegal channels, often facilitated by human smugglers, promising them a better life in Europe and North America,” Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director of NAPA, said.
On December 26, 1996, 565 migrants, primarily from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, embarked on a dangerous journey to Europe in search of a better future. Their dreams, however, ended in catastrophe when their overloaded vessel capsized, claiming the lives of 290 people, including 170 Indians, mostly from Punjab.
Even today, illegal migration routes remain equally unsafe, in overcrowded boats or through perilous land routes with inhuman treatment being faced en route by the young people, all in the hope of a brighter future in a western country, Chahal said. “Recent deportations from the US, Mexico, and European nations highlight the extent of the problem. In 2024, over 2,500 Indians—primarily from Punjab—were deported after being caught attempting illegal entry into America and Europe.”
Chahal feels that while unscrupulous agents and human trafficking networks need to be curbed, many young men and women from Punjab, who decided to take the perilous routes to immigrate illegally, should also be held responsible for their actions.
Sharing what is believed to be the typical modus operandi of illegal immigrants from India in the US, Chahal said that many are arrested at the US border while trying to cross over illegally. “Later, the police or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials detain them at processing centres where they go through a background check. They are then produced at a court and could be released on payment of bonds or transferred to other detention centres,” Chahal added.
In 2015, Chahal played an important role in negotiating with ICE officials to secure the release of 22 Sikh Indian asylum seekers, who were on hunger strike for over two weeks at a detention centre in Florida protesting against alleged unfair practices by US authorities. Initially, the asylum seekers, who had been detained when trying to illegally enter the US on foot from the Texas border, had been denied release on bond because they did not have family in the US.
“Young people from Punjab, who put their lives at risk in trying to immigrate illegally to the US and other countries, should be supported by the Punjab government. Often it is a lack of jobs and economic opportunities in the state that pushes them towards risking illegal immigration. Stronger job programmes and skill development initiatives for the youth are required,” Chahal said.
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Publish date : 2025-02-21 04:21:00
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