The 303 passengers on board a chartered flight to Central America last week are expected to return to India soon. The French judges on Sunday allowed Nicaragua bound flight carrying mostly Indians from Punjab and a large number of unaccompanied minors to resume its journey on Monday. The flight with not all 303 is heading to Mumbai.
According to a source, “It is a common saying that Nicaragua has become the new bridge for international migrants who are looking to get to the US.”
What happened last week?
As reported previously the A340 aircraft had taken off from Dubai and made a technical halt in Vatry for refuelling when it was grounded by French authorities over an anonymous tip about ”human trafficking.”
The India in France X handle (former Twitter) thanked the French Government and Vatry Airport for quick resolution of the situation enabling Indian passengers to return home & hospitality. And also for working closely with embassy team, present throughout at the site to ensure welfare and smooth and safe return. The Indian Mission in Paris also tanked agencies in India too.
The chartered flight which was headed to Nicaragua was run by Romania based Legend Airways. According to reports in the public domain the lawyer of the airline had said that the aircraft was charted by an agent who had previously done many such sorties between Dubai – Nicaragua. And, this was the first time ever the flight was grounded.
Liliana Bakayoko, lawyer for the Romanian based airlines said that 15 crew members were questioned and released.
Besides allowing the aircraft operated by Legend Airlines to leave, the French judges also decided to cancel the hearings of the passengers due to the irregularities in the procedures. This was all reported by the French news broadcast television and radio network BFM TV.
And as reported previously by Financial Express Online, a large number of passengers were unaccompanied minors, mostly from Punjab.
Minors heading to the US illegally
Indians aspiring to settle in the United States and secure green cards are adopting the strategy of leaving their children at American land borders with Mexico and Canada. During the American fiscal year 2023 (from Oct 1, 2022, to Sept 30, 2023), US agencies identified 730 unaccompanied Indian children at these borders, marking the highest number since the 2020 fiscal year.
Data from the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) reveals a remarkable 233% increase between 2020 and 2023. In October alone, 78 children were discovered at the borders — 73 on the Mexico border, locally known as the Donkey route, and five on the Canada border. A source familiar with the situation disclosed that the majority of these children are aged 10 to 14, with instances of children as young as four being found abandoned.
In specific scenarios, parents illegally enter the US and subsequently arrange for their children’s arrival. They collaborate with other undocumented immigrants who transport the children to the US border. These immigrants understand that leaving children at the border ensures American agencies take custody of them, ensuring their safety. Once in the custody of a US agency, parents or relatives in America engage legal representation to ultimately secure guardianship of the children.