NEW DELHI : An investigation by Delhi police, the Bureau of Immigration, and other security agencies has revealed that agents exploit the visa-on-arrival services offered by certain countries to Indian nationals, using them as ‘Donkey Routes’ for individuals attempting to illegally enter the United States and Canada. These agents take advantage of passengers by sending them to countries that provide visa-on-arrival to Indian citizens and then arranging routes that facilitate illegal border crossings into the desired destination countries.
As per ANI reports, the Indira Gandhi International Airport Police have cracked down on 108 deceptive agents in response to a surge in cases involving visa and passport fraud that aid illegal immigration.
According to a senior official, a frequently used tactic includes directing travelers with counterfeit Schengen visas to easily accessible European countries like Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan. From these points, they are guided through Central American or Caribbean nations such as Guatemala and Costa Rica with the aim of reaching the United States. The official noted, “These measures are designed for tourism purposes but are being exploited to support illegal immigration.”
Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police at IGI Airport, disclosed that during the first half of 2024, Delhi Police apprehended 11 agents implicated in facilitating travel via illicit routes for passengers. Highlighting a recent incident, she recounted the deportation of a passenger from the USA for illegal immigration. The individual had employed a donkey route in 2017 to reach the USA, with the assistance of two agents who charged him Rs 20 lakhs for their services.
The officer detailed the passenger’s arduous journey, stating, “These agents orchestrated the entire trip, routing him through Dubai, Cuba, Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico, and finally to the USA. Throughout this harrowing journey, the passenger endured severe hardships, often going hungry and sleepless. The agents confiscated his original passport. Despite eventually reaching the USA and finding work, his life took a turn in 2023 when a quarrel in Chicago led to his imprisonment for approximately nine months. In the end, being an undocumented migrant, he was expelled, making all his endeavors and the dangers he undertook to reach the USA ultimately in vain.”
It has also been observed that ‘Donkey Routes’ are utilized for illicit immigration to Asian nations. In a recent case, two agents hailing from Rajasthan were apprehended for organizing a traveler’s trip to Thailand on a tourist visa. Upon arrival in Thailand, one of the agents facilitated the traveler’s unlawful entry into Malaysia via a Donkey Route, taking advantage of the porous borders between the two countries. The traveler resided and worked in Malaysia, and in an attempt to legitimize the entry, the agent affixed a counterfeit Thailand immigration stamp on the passport. However, upon returning to India to visit family, immigration officers at the airport apprehended the traveler. They discovered discrepancies: the Visa on Arrival (VoA) stamp from Thailand bore a date of October 2022, whereas the passport had been issued in May 2023, confirming the VoA stamp as counterfeit.
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