'Donkey' route: Gujarat resident on way to US dies in Nicaragua

A GUJARAT resident trying to enter the US illegally through the 'donkey' route with his wife and child died in Nicaragua due to ill health.

The person, identified as Dilip Patel, a resident of Sabarkantha district in Gujarat had paid local agents around ₹10 million, Gujarat Samachar reports.

Patel had reportedly sold his property to raise the money.

Around 45 days ago, an agent had made arrangements for Patel to travel to the US via Nicaragua.

Patel was a diabetic, and on reaching Nicaragua his health deteriorated. He later slipped into a coma and died.

His wife and child are stranded in Nicaragua, and his family is seeking the Indian government's help.

The agents are reportedly exerting pressure on Patel's mother not to file a police complaint, the daily claimed.

The Donald Trump administration has made the mass deportation of illegal immigrants a key policy, and Indians form one of the largest segments of undocumented migrants in the US.

It had recently used US military aircraft to transport illegal migrants to India.

Apart from residents of Punjab and Haryana, those hailing from Gujarat formed the third largest group among the deportees in the three flights that landed recently in Amritsar.

The US has reportedly identified about 18,000 Indians who entered the country illegally and the Indian government has agreed to take them back after verification.