Published On 29-06-2022
Sometimes people from third-world countries, desiring a new and better life with great opportunities, are so desperate to cross the borders of developed countries like the US and Canada that they are ready to risk everything, even their lives
In one such incident, as many as 46 migrants were found dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. The incident apparently took place on June 27 and has left many people wondering - WHY?
Today, we will look into a recent tragic incident in which 46 migrants were found dead inside a truck near the US-Mexico border in San Antonio, Texas.
This is undoubtedly one of the most deadly recent incidents of human smuggling along the US-Mexico border. Fortunately, some were rescued alive from that "truck of hell." At least 16 people have been hospitalised for heat stroke and exhaustion, including four minors.
According to the media, police and fire authorities found "stacks of bodies" and no signs of water in the truck. And "the patients that we saw were hot to the touch, they were suffering from heat stroke, exhaustion," says San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood.
The irony is "It was a refrigerated tractor-trailer but there was no visible working A/C unit on that rig."
So, technically, high temperatures, heat stroke, and a lack of water and air conditioning killed these migrants. Is this, however, the only reason? Let's get started.
San Antonio, which is around 160 miles (250 kilometres) from the Mexican border, reached a high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) on Monday due to excessive humidity. The weather, however, was cloudy that day.
Heat is a big danger, especially since temperatures inside vehicles can quickly rise.
The unfortunate deaths highlight the challenge of controlling the human smuggling of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, which have reached record highs.
Similar incidents, that left a high number of migrants dead, have been reported in the past as well.
In 2017, at least ten migrants were found dead, trapped inside a truck that was parked at a Walmart in San Antonio. As many as 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of San Antonio in 2003.
What's sad is that people are still being smuggled in tractor-trailers with no water, food and ventilation. The migrant smugglers are all about exploiting those seeking a better future, and making money.
A large group of migrants stowed in a big truck - a long-lasting business model for smuggling people over borders.
Migrants are even willing to pay a little extra to ride in the crowded tractor-trailers, believing that they are more effective, faster, and safer than walking through the desert to a pickup point far from the border.
Big rigs became a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s, after an increase in US border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were the biggest corridors for illegal crossings at the time.
Furthermore, women believe they are less likely to be raped in a truck than in the open desert because there are more witnesses. Riding in a big rig is "the VIP treatment" to these women.
Just do a casual search on YouTube with the term “USA Donkey” and it would show you numerous tips and tutorials on how migrants especially Indians can illegally enter the United States via Mexico.
The search will also expose you to a vast network of people traffickers and how they operate from within India to lure unsuspecting youth to the fake American dream. The videos show how frequently these young men from Punjab, in northwestern India, undertake the risky journey.
But, for those who are asking how unsuspecting youth are persuaded to feel that they can defy all systems and laws to find their way into America, one must also comprehend the methods of the human traffickers who guide these men and women into doing the unthinkable.
The immigration agents of Punjab and Haryana use the ‘DONKEY’ method to send people of these states abroad. In this, the agents charge around Rs. 30-40 Lakhs from the customers and send them to different countries like America in illegal ways through ships, containers, and trucks.
To reach the United States, the agents typically fly them to Colombia, where they meet other illegal migrants and create a group. The group then travels through Panama City's forests, crossing five or six jungles in a few days.
The Panama jungles are deadly, and one may come across dead bodies on the ground. These forests are full of wild animals, and illegal migrants are often left without food or water. If you are lucky enough to make it through the Panama jungles, the groups will next move to Costa Rica, where they will have to make their way through dense forests once again before reaching Mexico. From Mexico, they have to jump over the border to reach the United States.
After reading all this information some questions must have crossed your mind - All this trouble for what? Why are migrants so desperate to reach developed counties like US and Canada?
Why risk your life just to be in another country?
The answers to your questions are rising violence and poverty in their countries, a desire for a better life, education and work opportunities and hope to live a respectful life.
Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and India are the five countries which send the highest number of migrants to the US.
The reason for the increased illegal migration is that the economies of countries such as Honduras and Guatemala have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Two hurricanes pummeled Central America in November, while Latin America already suffered from poverty and violence.
Many migrants now believe that crossing the US border illegally is now easier since President Trump is gone. Many don't even know who Joe Biden is and nor do they know anything about the president's immigration policies. However, they cling to the idea they have heard from others - "It's now easier to cross the U.S. border"
A growing number of migrants are making their way to the United States' southern border. The surge is likely to reach a 20-year high this year, posing a big challenge to Biden and his commitment to implement more humane immigration policies.
Republicans accuse Biden of triggering a migrant crisis by stopping the construction of President Donald Trump's border wall and scrapping a policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico or apply from other nations.
Biden, however, denies the allegations.
The truth is that such migrant smuggling incidents will never stop. However, there are several practical solutions that might help to lower the rapidly growing numbers.
The United States must impose harsh penalties on those involved in migrant smuggling while simultaneously implementing humanitarian immigration policies for those who have crossed the border with hope in their eyes.
The world's rich countries must assist the third world or developing nations in every way they can. Remember that people leave their homes and face several hardships, often putting their lives in danger, just to have a better future.
