No Trace Of Punjab Youth Who Took 'Donkey Route', Mother Fears Son Lost In Panama Jungle

On December 19, 2023, Jagmeet made his last call to his father, who believes his son must have been lost in the jungles of Panama.

Pathankot: The wait for their son's return is like hoping against hope though Joginder Singh and his wife Jasmeet Kaur cling to a dim hope of Jagmeet's return from the USA.

It's been more than 14 months since the youth from Punjab's Pathankot went to chase the 'American dream', taking the arduous Panama 'donkey route, which is an illegal migrant passage used by people from South Asia, particularly India, to travel to America. The migrants face physical and natural hazards along the route, making the journey even more perilous.

"Our son Jagmeet was desperate to settle down in the USA because he was fed up with joblessness. Having failed to get a job here after passing his MBA, he got impatient and expressed his desire to go to the USA in search of financial fortune. For his happiness, we took him to an agent, who arranged for his travel. He demanded Rs 45 lakh from us for Jagmeet's travel to America. The first instalment of Rs 15 lakh was given to the agent in cash. We received the last call from him on December 19, 2023, and there was no communication from him after that," Joginder said.

According to Joginder, the agent said he would arrange for Jagmeet's journey through the perilous route. Singh said he along with his wife pleaded with the government to ensure our son's safe return. Jagmeet's parents said that their son was unfairly treated by the agent. "My son had been sent through the donkey route by the travel agent. He must have got lost somewhere in the jungle of Panama," Jasmeet said.

They could not find any information and even filed a complaint against the agent to the police administration. But till now, no action has been taken against the agent. On December 19, 2023, Jagmeet made a call, which turned out to be his last one, to his father.

"It appeared he was somewhere in the jungles of Panama and then the call got disconnected,” Joginder said. He added that all his subsequent attempts to connect with his son ended in disappointment.