US Immigration: Why Are Indians Running Halfway Around the World?

 US Immigration: Why Are Indians Running Halfway Around the World?

As an openly gay man living in a deeply conservative part of Punjab, India, life was hard for Jashan Preet Singh for a long time.

Over the years, Mr Singh, 34, had become accustomed to daily discrimination in his hometown of Jalandhar - harassment and beatings by his neighbors, and a family that had largely turned his back on him.

But what happened at the end of last year was different.

"There were 15 or 20 people who tried to kill me," he told the BBC from Fresno, Calif. "I ran from there and saved my life. But they cut off different parts of my body." The attack left him with a amputated hand and a severed thumb.

Mr Singh's escape led him on a journey that took him through Turkey and France. Eventually, this led him to the US-Mexico border some 8,000 miles (12,800 km) away, where he moved to California to start a new life in America.

He is not alone – over the years, the arrival of Indian immigrants to the US has been slow but steady, numbering in the dozens or even hundreds each month.

However, this year the figure has increased.

Since the start of the 2022 fiscal year that began last October, a record 16,290 Indian nationals have been taken into US custody at the Mexican border. The previous high of 8,997 was recorded in 2018.

Experts point to several reasons for the increase, including the climate of discrimination in India, the end of pandemic-era sanctions, a perception that the current US administration is welcoming asylum seekers and the ramp-up of already established smuggling networks. Up.




Deepak Ahluwalia, an immigration lawyer representing Indian citizens in Texas and California, said while some migrants are coming to the US for economic reasons, many are fleeing persecution.

The latter group ranges from Muslims, Christians and "low-caste" Hindus to members of India's LGBT community, who fear violence at the hands of extreme Hindu nationalists, or supporters of separatist movements, and farmers in the Punjab region, who are shaken by the protests. went. From 2020.

International observers say the situation in many of these groups has worsened in recent years.

tough decisions

For Mr. Singh, the decision to leave his country was not an easy one. He considered moving to another Indian city first, but feared that he would be treated equally badly.

"The culture is not open-minded to gay people," he said. "Being gay out there is a big issue."

India decriminalized same-sex sex only in 2018 and same-sex marriage remains illegal.

His brother soon put him in contact with a "travel agency" based in India - part of a sophisticated and expensive smuggling network that took him first to Turkey - where "life was very difficult" - and then to France, where he lived briefly. Thought but didn't get the job. The whole journey took him just six months.


Eventually, his "travel agent" arranged for him to join a small group of Indians traveling to America, where many - Mr Singh included - were family members.

"He took a lot of money from us," said Mr. Singh. "[But] from France he took me to Cancun, and from there to Mexico City and north."

a difficult journey

Advocate Mr Ahluwalia said immigrants like Mr Singh often see the US as the "last gateway" to a better life.

The enormous distance involved, however, makes traveling to the US extremely challenging.

Traditionally, Indian expatriates arriving at the US-Mexican border use "door-to-door" smuggling services, arranging travel from India to South America. They are often guided all the way and travel in small groups with their fellow countrymen who speak the same language, not individually or only with family members.

These networks often begin with India-based "travel agents" who outsource parts of travel to partner criminal groups in Latin America.

Jessica Boulter, an analyst at the Washington DC-based Migration Policy Institute, said the number of Indian migrants is also rising as a result of a "ripple effect" that occurs when those who successfully use these services recommend it to their friends or friends. Huh. Family back in India.

• Provided armed guards for threatened gay couples

• 'I went to jail for being gay'

"It spreads naturally and attracts more migrants," she said. "Of course, this doesn't happen without migrants who basically want to leave."

The experiences of Manpreet - a 20-year-old from Punjab who asked that only his first name be used - are typical of those who have taken the southern route in the past. A vocal critic of India's ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), he fled the country after being persecuted for his political beliefs.

"From Ecuador I took a bus to Colombia and from Colombia I took a bus to Panama," Manpreet said in an interview to the BBC from California. "From there, by means of a boat, I sailed


Even guided by experienced smugglers, border travel is often fraught with dangers, including robbery and extortion at the hands of local gangs or corrupt officials or extreme weather, injuries and disease.

These dangers were highlighted in 2019, when a 6-year-old Indian girl from Punjab was found dead in the scorching desert near the border town of Lukeville, Arizona - a case that made headlines in India. It was later reported that he died in temperatures exceeding 42 C (108 F) after his mother left him with a group of other Indians to go in search of water.

an uncertain new beginning

Once in the US, migrants like Mr. Singh begin a lengthy legal process to apply for asylum. Often, this begins as a "credible fear interview" by US officials, in which they must convince officers that they face harassment upon their return home.

"This first step is the most important," explained Mr. Ahluwalia. "If he [the officer] believes there is no credible fear, then your case is never going to proceed. It's just too frightening."

If an asylum officer believes these fears are credible, asylum seekers are likely to be issued notices to appear before an immigration judge who will consider their request.

The process is long – with wait times of many years now the norm across America – with no promise of positive results.

Mr Singh, for his part, has been in the US since late June. For the time being, he is saving money to hire a lawyer.

He added that his long-term future in the US is not guaranteed and that his journey is long, it is better than the alternative.

"I've always feared for my life," he said. "I've never felt like this since I've been here."