Economic Woes Behind Indians Following ‘Donkey’ Route to the US?

Indians Form the Third-Largest Group of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.

Newsreel Asia Insight #150
March 4, 2024

A growing number of Indians are embarking on a perilous journey to the United States, driven by economic distress and the pursuit of better prospects, media reports suggest. This migration, often through illegal routes, reflects economic challenges within India, compelling individuals to take extraordinary risks for a chance at a better life.

Indians now represent the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the United States, with their numbers reaching 725,000 as of 2021, according to the Pew Research Center, as cited by The Washington Post, which says that undocumented Indian immigrants in the U.S. grew by 70 percent since 2011, marking the fastest growth rate among all nationalities.

There was a significant uptick in the number of undocumented Indian immigrants between 2020 and 2023, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The profile of these migrants is noteworthy; they often come from middle-class backgrounds and hail from some of India’s most prosperous states. To fund their journey to the U.S., families frequently sell their land, with the cost of migration ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 per person, according to the Post.

The economic motivations behind this migration trend are likely rooted in India’s current job market challenges. Despite a nominal decrease in the overall unemployment rate, rural joblessness and underemployment remain significant concerns, as noted by The Economic Times.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report for 2022-2023 revealed a dramatic increase in the number of unpaid workers, categorised as “self-employed,” soaring to 95 million from 40 million in merely five years.

In April 2023, The Hindu Businessline noted that the rise in the number of self-employed individuals was markedly pronounced in rural locales and among female workers, explaining that the presumption is that rural self-employment spikes due to prevalent small-scale farming. However, the phenomenon extends beyond agriculture, with self-employment accounting for about half of the rural non-farm labour force as well, it said.

India’s self-employment landscape is surging partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s push for self-reliance through its Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Policy Circle magazine noted in August 2023. As the nation’s population climbs, the ranks of traditional businessmen and thriving entrepreneurs thin—a stark contrast to the boom in self-employment, hinting at an economic tide that’s less than favourable.

The self-employed folks aren’t the magnates of high finance or captains of industry; they’re the gig economy’s backbone, Policy Circle explained, saying they’re the taxi drivers weaving through India’s bustling streets, the local beauticians, the real estate agents brokering urban dreams, and also the astrologers “charting destinies.” Unlike businesspeople who anchor significant enterprises requiring hefty capital and teams, these self-employed individuals are often solo acts.

This backdrop of economic strife creates a culture of migration, where the lack of attractive job opportunities and a struggling agricultural sector in India push individuals towards seeking a better life abroad, the Post said.

The journey itself, known colloquially as the “donkey route” which originates from the Punjabi word “dunki,” meaning to move from one place to another, involves a complex network of countries chosen for their easy visa requirements, leading migrants eventually to Latin America or Canada, from where they attempt to enter the U.S.

The journey is extremely dangerous, with migrants facing risks such as detention, theft and physical harm. However, the lure of the American dream, fueled by stories of success and the potential for a better life, remains a powerful motivator.

Recent incidents, such as the grounding of a charter flight suspected of carrying victims of human trafficking and the discovery of deceased Indian migrants near the U.S.-Canada border, show the dangers and desperation that characterise this migration route. Yet, despite the risks, the number of undocumented Indian immigrants encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection surged to an unprecedented 96,917 in 2022-2023, up from just 1,500 a decade ago.

Apart from economic pressures within India, religious and political persecution as well as the closure of legal immigration channels are among key drivers of this migration trend, as noted by Scroll.in.

The surge in illegal migration is particularly pronounced among individuals from Punjab and Gujarat, states known for their relative affluence and strong diaspora connections in the U.S.