Huge spike in number of Indians detained at US-Canada border: ‘An untapped Dunki trail’

Updated Apr 22, 2024 08:37 IST

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have encountered at least 50 percent more Indians attempting to enter the US through Canada in the current fiscal year, compared to 2023. Since then, 1,630 Indian nationals have been stopped from entering the US illegally between the points of entry. October, a period of six months.

The Canada-US border has become a popular dunki route lately.

The number of Indians trying to enter the United States illegally has increased sharply. Data provided by the Border Patrol showed a significant increase in numbers Indian nationals unlawfully attempting to enter the US through the ports of entry, the southern border, and through a less explored route, namely the Canada-US border crossing.

Customs CBP officials have encountered at least 50 percent more Indians attempting to enter the US through Canada in the current fiscal year compared to 2023. Since October, 1,630 Indian nationals have been stopped from entering the US illegally between points of entry. of six months. While 2,454 were arrested last year. Experts in the field believe that this number will rise further before the next presidential elections, which will take place in November 2024.

But the story doesn’t end here. Indians are the third largest group of undocumented immigrants in America. TimesNow previously reported that this year there was a 6,300 percent increase in the number of Chinese nationals trying to pursue the American Dream. The number of undocumented migrants encountered at ports of entry, or those who arrived at an airport by air in search of greater opportunities, reached 28,380 last year, according to data released by CBP. In addition, 14,168 Indian nationals attempted to enter illegally through ports.

Comparing the situation at the northern border, 30,010 Indians were apprehended in 2023, a big jump in the number compared to 2021. At the height of the COVID pandemic, the number was 2,225. In the past, the Indian embassy had stated that it was helping the US government combat “illegal immigration and human trafficking” while promoting legal admission.

“People are trying to get a lot of things in before November, but obviously also before January,” Voice America quoted Maryland-based immigration attorney Chirag Patel. Some experts suggest that wealthier Indian migrants may prefer to enter Canada first due to the ease of obtaining a visa before crossing the northern border into the US, despite widespread discussion of Indian nationals attempting illegal immigration through the difficult southern land border.

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