Already, government data showed that 984,000 people left the state of Punjab and Chandigarh, the capital it shares with Haryana, between 2016 and February 2021.
An entire migration economy has grown to meet this demand: visa agents, test prep centres and advertisements promising quick approvals. “The illegal work starts from here, under the guise of coaching centres,” said Dunki agent “Mandeep”.
The referral pathway, or “line of commission”, often begins in the villages, he added. “Mention your plan to go abroad, and your neighbour says, ‘My nephew went through this agent, let me take you to him.’”
The route to the US by air costs US$70,000 to US$94,000; the forest route costs about US$35,000, he listed. “The difference is in the amenities.”
Migrants who pay more can fly with forged visas and have safer stopovers. Those who pay less must rely on ground-level smugglers in Latin America known as “Donkers”, risking increased exposure to extortion and other dangers.
Source: CNA
