Having dreams to go to Italy, 11 youths from Punjab and Haryana have ended up behind bars in war-torn Libya. Reason: They had taken a ‘donkey route’ to reach Italy in February, but they are stuck in Libya now after being ditched by travel agents.

A ‘donkey route’ is an illegitimate way of entering a foreign country by traversing through and making multiple stops in other countries.

The youths are said to have been coerced into allegedly working as bonded labourers in Libya by ‘donkers’, who ferry people from one country to another. ‘Donkers’ demanded more money from them to help them reach the next destination – Greece. As the youths did not have the money, they were forced to work as labourers in Libya. The youths claimed that they were beaten up by the ‘donkers’.

It was after victims came to know that they had been sold to some agency as workers, they managed to escape from custody. Soon after, the Libya Police arrested and sent them to jail for being ‘illegal immigrants’. One of the youths said, “Thirteen persons had taken flight to Dubai from Amritsar. One of us was successful in getting out of the clutches of the travel agents, while one reportedly died due to the torture by the ‘donkers’.”

According to government documents, the 11 youths had given around Rs 11 lakh each to travel agents in Punjab, they however had to pay more money to ‘donkers’ in each country they landed in before getting stuck in Libya.

It has been learned that before getting arrested, the youths had approached Punjab Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Sahney on May 27 for help.

When Sahney was asked about the current status of the victim, he told The Tribune: “My team is in constant touch with the boys and the embassy to expedite their return to India. I am extending all financial support to the youths, including air tickets, stay in safe houses, clothes and shoes.”