Gujarat agents take payment after migrants enter US, Punjab ones demand it upfront | India News

AHMEDABAD: Illegal immigrants from Gujarat deported from the US take a smaller financial risk than those from Punjab because of a “safer” payment system where the illegal travel agent’s fee is paid only when the person makes a “safe landing” in the US, immigration agents and police in Gujarat say.
Agents say Punjab follows an “advance payment” model where agents take the full payment upfront.”People pay because Punjabi human smugglers guarantee entry to the US even if it takes multiple attempts. There, the agent fees are almost the same but there is no part payment or late payment option,” said the official.
“Here (in Gujarat), safe landing is a package deal where money is paid only when the illegal migrant enters US, reaches the sponsors and calls back home. It’s only then that the fee, Rs 45-60 lakh for an individual and Rs 1-1.25 crore for a family unit, is paid. This helps safeguard people in case of aborted entries,” said an illegal immigration agent in north Gujarat.