New Delhi: A disturbing video has emerged showing a group of Indian migrants hiding in the jungles of Panama, offering a glimpse into the dangerous journey many undertook in an attempt to reach the United States. The footage, which has gained major attention online, depicts men, women and children camping in a jungle clearing.
They appear to be enduring tough conditions, with people sitting in the mud, some dressed in rubber boots, while others hold infants in their laps. The scene also shows people wearing raincoats as they brave a heavy downpour in the dense forest.
This video is said to be of the #Panama jungle. People spent lakhs of money & everyone has heard about these dark jungles thus, people fell into a trap. 40-50 lakhs is a large sum of money & one can start their own business in India but these people are willing to do everything… pic.twitter.com/hIXymRDRZR
— Akashdeep Thind (@thind_akashdeep) February 6, 2025
Migrants abandoned mid-journey
These migrants had embarked on a lengthy and hazardous journey across Central America, with many depending on ‘agents’ to facilitate their passage to the US. They travelled Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before attempting to cross into Mexico, where they hoped to continue their trek to the US border. Many people who were deported have shared their stories of being abandoned by these agents halfway through their journey. They were left stranded in isolated locations, far from any help, NDTV reported.
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In many cases, migrants had sold their land and assets to finance the journey, driven by hopes of a better future in the United States. Their deportation marks a huge development in the Trump administration’s stringent efforts to curb illegal immigration.
Dangerous US journey
On Wednesday, a US military aircraft carrying 104 deported Indian nationals landed in Amritsar. This was the first batch of Indian deportees under the Donald Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement. The deportees said that throughout the flight, their hands and legs were shackled, with restraints removed only after they arrived at Amritsar airport.
The large-scale deportation has ignited political debates in India, with opposition parties using the incident to criticise Prime Minister Modi’s government. They argue that the government’s strengthening of ties with the US is being undermined by the treatment of Indian nationals involved in illegal immigration. Among the deportees were many people from Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Modi.
