Chandigarh, Jul 9: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Wednesday, conducted raids across Punjab and Haryana against travel agents, who were linked to 'Dunki route' that came to limelight recently after the deportation of Indian nationals from the US, ED officials said.

Officials admitted that the crackdown was targeted against the travel agents involved in human smuggling abroad through illegal routes, largely originating from developing countries.

The raids across 11 locations in both the states, comprising the cities of Amritsar, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal, were conducted by ED's Zonal Office in Jalandhar.

A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in February at the Amritsar International Airport, marking the first such deportation during President Donald Trump's second term.

At that time the deportees included 30 from Punjab, 33 each from Haryana and Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and two from Chandigarh.

The illegal immigration technique named 'Dunki' which people adopt to seek greener pastures in the US or Europe.

Experts blame the agrarian crisis for unemployment in both the states even as farmlands become increasingly small as families expand and skyrocketing farm inputs make it impossible to earn a decent living.

Therefore, despite disturbing stories around the 'Dunki' route, the prospect of a better life in the Western world continues to be an overwhelming lure for the youth, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.

Travel and immigration agents are constantly adapting newer ways to sneak young aspirants into the US and European nations through other countries by crossing rivers and jungles.

Reports say immigrants travel over 1,500 miles through Mexico under a blazing sun to seek asylum in the US.

Immigration consultants based in Chandigarh told IANS the legal route to reach the US, Canada and other Western countries is a study permit that eventually starts their professional lives.

Most international students are eligible to work there, especially in Canada and Britain, while studying, they said.

"There are different requirements for working on campus and off-campus. Normally, international students can work off-campus up to 20 hours per week in Canada. A majority of Indian students work in food services, retail, and hospitality," they added.

Seeing the craze in Punjab, hundreds of immigration and admission consultancy firms have opened their offices across Punjab and Haryana and its capital city Chandigarh.

(IANS)

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