The illegal immigration industry in Haryana flourished over the years as travel agents have cheated hundreds of youths from the state promising them to settle abroad illegally by adopting the infamous Dunki route. As per the available information in the past five years the state police have registered a total 2008 cases of illegal immigration and arrested 1917 people involved in illegal immigration and recovered over Rs 26.08 crore.
Haryana government was facing criticism over illegal immigration as 111 youths from Haryana were among total 332 illegal immigrants were deported from the United State in three flights last month. As per the reports from the Haryana police state was emerging as a hub of the travel and immigration agents with Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala and Yamunanagar and Kaithal have thousands of offices of travel agents.
These agents having links with Dunkers allegedly misleading desperate youths of the state who pay hefty amount to these agents for unsafe migration routes.
However, the police investigations based on the statements of the deported individuals have revealed that the agents have adopted a common pattern as the migrants initially travel legally to destinations such as Dubai, Spain, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand on work, tourist, or student visas. After crossing these countries these immigrants take risky and illegal journeys using the Dunki Route to enter their destinations in USA and Canada. There are also reports that the agents had sent youths to war hit Russia and Ukraine. As per the information most of the Indian migrants are lured by fake travel agents who promise high-paying jobs abroad in exchange for hefty fees, ranging from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 1.25 crore. Following the criticism now Haryana Haryana government has launched a crackdown on travel agents involved in illegal immigration. According to the parliamentary affairs Minister Mahipal Dhanda assured the state assembly during the ongoing budget session that strict action would be taken against agents found guilty of illegal immigration activities. He said that the government has prepared the Haryana Travel Agents Registration and Regulation Bill, 2025, which aims to curb fraudulent practices and bring transparency to the travel industry.
The minister has acknowledged that migration has been driven by aspirations for better economic opportunities, safety, and improved living standards. However the government has assured that the stringent immigration laws and limited legal options are being adopted to prevent the youths from taking unsafe and illegal routes to chase their dreams of handsome earnings by doing labour works.
The Haryana governemnt hade earlier also taken some stringent measures to deal with the illegal immigration as in May 2020, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under the Inspector General of Police, Karnal Range, to dismantle networks of illegal agents. This was followed by the formation of another SIT in April 2023 under the Inspector General of Police, Ambala Range, with the inclusion of police superintendents from Ambala and Kaithal. The SIT has actively cracked down on fraudulent immigration activities, conducted raids, sealed offices of deceptive agents, and arrested offenders based on victim testimonies.
Investigative authorities are tracking financial transactions, travel records, and digital communications of suspected agents. District-level DSPs have been designated as nodal officers to monitor and oversee cases related to illegal immigration fraud. Now under the proposed law, all travel agents and agencies in the state must register mandatorily. Any agent found engaging in illegal activities will have their registration revoked, and operating without a valid certificate will be deemed a punishable offense. Furthermore, those involved in human trafficking or document forgery will face severe penalties, including asset seizures and mandatory compensation for victims.
Recent deportation statistics have further highlighted the magnitude of the issue. In February 2025, the US deported 332 Indian nationals across three flights. Of these, 126 (38%) were from Punjab, while 111 (33%) were from Haryana. The state government ensured that all deported individuals were safely returned to their respective hometowns. Since 2009, a total of 15,896 Indian citizens have been deported from the US.
