Numerous families are dealing with economic uncertainties following the return of their relatives to India, just a week after the newly elected United States President Donald Trump enacted an executive order to expel all undocumented immigrants to their home countries.
Akashdeep Singh and Akash, coming from Punjab and Haryana respectively, were part of the 104 illegal Indian migrants who arrived in Amritsar on February 5 after being sent back from the US.
Akashdeep’s father stated that they had invested more than Rs 60 lakh to ensure a promising future for their son. Hailing from Rajatal, a village close to the India-Pakistan border, Akashdeep was apprehended by US authorities on January 23.
Akashdeep lived in Dubai for seven months before traveling to the US with the assistance of an agent. After arriving in India on Wednesday, he called his father to reassure him that he was safe.
However, his family claimed they were experiencing significant financial strain as they were having difficulty overcoming the substantial debt they accumulated while sending their son overseas.
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Akashdeep’s father, Swaran Singh, disclosed that they pledged their land, secured loans, and even sold their jewelry and livestock to fund his journey.
“We invested more than Rs 60 lakh to send him to the US. We borrowed money and committed all our assets,” Swaran Singh informed India Today TV.
The situation is similar for 20-year-old Akash’s family in Karnal, Haryana, who parted with their ancestral land to finance his trips. Because Akash was determined to travel to the US, his older brother Subham sold 2.5 acres of their property to give Rs 65 lakh to an agent.
Families want government to look into the matter
After their son’s arrival in India, Akashdeep’s family has requested financial support from the government.
“If my son had secured a job in India, there wouldn’t have been a necessity to send him overseas. The government needs to offer jobs to those who have come back,” Swaran Singh stated.
Mirroring Swaran Singh’s views, Akashdeep’s uncle Gurpreet Singh urged the government to intervene and assist the families in need.
“This deportation has caused significant stress to families who gave up everything for a better life. The method of sending these youths back is unjust,” he stated.
