“Donkey Route” or the “dunki route” hit the headlines recently after a Globemaster C-17 US Air Force plane landed at Amritsar air base with 104 illegal Indian migrants. The hapless migrants spent 40 hours in the plane, with their hands cuffed and feet shackled, their request to remove the handcuff before taking meals was turned down and they dragged themselves to the washrooms.
What Is Donkey Route?
However, they had taken the much more painful travel to the US, where they were arrested before being deported. They reached the US through “donkey route” or “dunki route”.
The donkey route is the route taken by illegal migrants to stealthily cross many unknown countries with the help of agents and human traffickers before entering the country of their choice like the US or the UK.
Donkey Route To UK
To reach the UK through the donkey route, the travelers reach any of the EU countries like Germany or France, use a Schengen visa to cross the countries and enter the UK illegally taking a seat in a container or a freight carrier or a goods train. The travel is dangerous and many of the travelers die in the transit.
However, the donkey route to the US is much more dangerous, expensive, painful and torturous.
Donkey Route To US
Most of the Indians taking the infamous donkey route to the US somehow reach any of the Latin American countries. However, it is easier to land in Bolivia or Peru by flight as these countries give visas easily. Ecuador, Bolivia and Guyana give visas on arrival to Indians.
Most of the people on the dunki route travel through Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia to reach the gateway of Panama.
Darien Gap
However the most perilous part of the dunki route passes through the Darien Gap, a treacherous route that stretches from Colombia to Panama. It connects southern Panama’s Darien Province and the northern portion of Colombia’s Choco Department.
One of the most inhospitable regions of the world, the Darien Gap consists of mountain ranges, rainforests, and drainage basins full of swamps.
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In spite of being one of the most aloof and hostile regions of the world, the Darien Gap has been used both by human beings and animals from time immemorial as it is the only piece of land that connects North America to South America.
There is no road, not even the primitive one, in the route,as the logistical challenges, financial costs, and environmental concerns have always prevented any development in the Darien Gap.
The stretch is the home to wild animals like jaguars, and venomous snakes.
There is a complete lack of law and order, the entire route is dominated by rival gangs of human traffickers, dacoits, and other criminals, who can attack, loot, rape and kill people on the route.
From Costa Rica To Mexico
After reaching Panama, a new and less dangerous route is taken. Also a part of the dunki route, it passes through the Central American countries of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala before reaching Mexico.
Part of the route is traveled by bus or other vehicles.
How To Enter US?
After reaching the northern part of Mexico, the illegal migrants have two options: either they sneak into the US illegally or seek asylum on any pretext.
Most of the Indians are refused asylum on the grounds that there is no life-threatening situation or danger in that country.
Most of the Indians, who are denied asylum, are taken into custody. Many others who sneak into the US are caught while crossing the border.
Dunki Route: How Much Does It Cost?
The entire operation is carried out by a chain of human trafficking gangs, that have spread their tentacles from small Punjab villages to border areas of Mexico.
They have agents at the ground level, from small towns to villages of Punjab, Haryana or Gujarat. These agents take the amount between Rs 30 lakh to 1 crore per person and assure to help the people reach the US.
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None of the victims is informed about the Darien Gap or the illegal route, most of them are told that they would be sent to the US as legal workers or they may get a job days after reaching there.
In most of the cases the “American Dream” is shattered, and people land in US custody after paying lakhs of rupees. The only people who, being benefitted, are the agents and the traffic gang members.
