Police Cracks Down on Fraudulent Immigration Agents

Following the deportation of 104 Indian immigrants from the US on 5 Feb, Panjab police has registered multiple First Information Reports (FIR) against travel agents accused of defrauding families by promising legal entry to the US but sending them through illegal routes. Amritsar police booked travel agent Satnam Singh for allegedly duping deportee Daler Singh, who paid USD 69K (Rs 60 lakh) after mortgaging his farmland. Haryana police also registered FIRs against three agents based on complaints from deportees Shubham and Sumit Singh, who claimed they were charged USD 46K and USD 48.9K, respectively, but were sent via the dunki (illegal donkey route) route. Panjab Non-Resident Indians (NRI) Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal emphasized that the deportees are victims, not criminals, and initiated legal action against fraudulent agents. Panjab police has formed a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional Director General of Police Parveen Sinha to probe illegal emigration and human trafficking. Chandigarh Police has conducted raids on illegal immigration firms, arresting seven individuals, including two women, for operating unauthorized consultancies and deceiving clients. The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) urged the Panjab government to strengthen anti-human smuggling laws, citing the failure of existing measures to curb illegal migration. NAPA highlighted the growing trend of Panjabi and Hindi-speaking asylum seekers in the US, with Panjabi speakers forming 66% of Indian asylum petitions from 2001 to 2022, while Hindi speakers saw a 30% rise between 2017 and 2022. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund expressed concerns over the deportation of Sikh asylum seekers, advocating for due legal process and humane treatment. In another development, Simran Preet Panesar, a suspect in Canada’s largest gold heist worth USD 20 million, was traced living Chandigarh and arrested while Canadian authorities await his surrender.