奔向爱与自由：为什么近年来印度人争相移民美国？

奔向爱与自由：

为什么印度人近年来争相移民美国？

Once we dreamt that we were strangers.

We wake up to find that we were dear to each other.

00:56

01:23

For years, the arrival of Indian migrants in the US has been slow but steady, amounting to dozens or hundreds each month. This year, however, the figures have spiked.

“While some migrants are coming to the US for economic reasons, many are fleeing persecution back home.” said Deepak Ahluwalia, an immigration lawyer who has represented Indian nationals in Texas and California.

The latter group range from Muslims, Christians and "low-caste" Hindus to members of India's LGBT community who fear violence at the hands of extreme Hindu nationalists, or supporters of secessionist movements.

Over the years, Jashan Preet Singh, 24, had grown accustomed to daily discrimination in his hometown of Jalandhar - harassment and beatings doled out by his neighbours, and a family that had largely turned its back on him. But what happened late last year was different. 

"There were 15 or 20 people who tried to kill me," he told the BBC from Fresno, California. "I ran away from there and saved my life. But they cut various parts of my body." The attack left him with a mutilated arm and a severed thumb.

Mr Singh's escape set him on a journey that took him through Turkey and France. Eventually, it led him to the US-Mexico border, nearly 8,000 miles away, where he crossed into California to begin a new life in the US. 

For Mr Singh, the decision to leave his country wasn't an easy one. He first considered moving to another Indian city, but feared that he would be treated just as badly. "The culture is not open-minded for gay people," he said. "Being gay over there is a big issue."

Members of the LGBT community still largely face prejudice and hostility in though India decriminalised gay sex in 2018 and same-sex marriage remains illegal.The impact of the spirited, vibrant movement has been most visible in big cities,but not remote areas or countryside.

Mr.Singh was not the only one who got trapped in this dilemma.In India,Adhila Nassrin and Fathima Noora are a young lesbian couple.Faceing strong opposition from their families after they disclosed their relationship,they took refuge at Vanaja Collective,a shelter for LGBTQ people and other marginalised communities, in Kozhikode district in northern Kerala.

They agreed to accompany Ms Nassrin's parents back home after being promised they would come to no harm,but a few days later, Ms Noora's family forcibly took her away.This June,they sighed a petition for free cohabitation and got permitted。But they said they still fear threats from their families.

Immigrants such as Mr Singh often see the US as "the ultimate gateway to a better life”, said Mr Ahluwalia, the lawyer. The enormous distances involved, however, make the trip to the US extremely challenging. 

Traditionally, Indian migrants who arrive at the US-Mexican border use "door-to-door" smuggling services, with journeys arranged from India to South America. They are often guided the entire way and travel in small groups with their fellow countrymen who speak the same language.These networks often begin with India-based "travel agents" -- part of a sophisticated smuggling network--which outsource parts of the journey to partner criminal groups in Latin America. 

Take Mr.Singh for example，His brother soon put him in touch with an "travel agency".They took him first to Turkey - where "life was very tough" - and then to France, where he briefly considered staying but was unable to find work. Eventually, his "travel agent" arranged for him to join a small group of Indians headed to the US, where many - Mr Singh included - had family members. 

In this way,even guided by seasoned smugglers, the trip to the border is often one that is fraught with dangers, including robberies and extortion at the hands of local gangs or corrupt authorities or extreme weather, injuries and illness. 

These dangers were highlighted in 2019, when a 6-year-old Indian girl from Punjab was found dead in the scorching desert near the border town of Lukeville, Arizona - a case that made headlines in India.

Once in the US, migrants such as Mr Singh begin a long legal process to apply for asylum. Most often, it begins with what US officials term a "credible fear interview", in which they must convince authorities they face persecution if returned home. 

"This first step is the most important," Mr Ahluwalia explained. "If he [the officer] deems there is no credible fear, your case is never going to move forward. That is very catastrophic." If an asylum officer believes these fears are credible, would-be asylum seekers are likely to be issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge who will consider their request. 

The process is lengthy--with wait times of several years now the norm across the US - with no promise of a positive outcome. Mr Singh, for his part, has been in the US since late June. At the moment, he is saving up money to hire a lawyer.

While his long-term future in the US is by no means guaranteed, and his journey was long, it was better than the alternative, he said. "I would always fear for my life.Since I have been here, I have never felt such a thing."