New Delhi, 1 December: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Monday urged the Centre to launch a special investigation into the trafficking of Indian youth through the so-called “Dunki Route,” warning that offshore labour companies were pushing young men into conflict zones under the guise of foreign jobs.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour on the opening day of the Winter Session, Sandhu said the trend had grown into “a big network,” especially in Punjab. “These agencies lure youth with promises of high-paying jobs abroad, but once they reach places like Russia, their passports are seized,” he said. “They are then forced into illegal activities, including being recruited into the Russian Forces to operate in a warzone.”
Sandhu referred to recent cases of Punjabi men who travelled to Russia for construction jobs but ended up being pressed into military service in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He previously took up the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which later evacuated dozens of stranded Indians.
He praised the MEA for rescuing 96 nationals. “Their timely intervention saved lives,” Sandhu said. Media reports estimate that about 126 Indians reached Russia after being duped by recruiters; 12 died in combat, 18 remain deployed, and the whereabouts of 16 are unknown.
Sandhu also recalled the May 2025 rescue of five Punjabi men held captive in Capurganá, Colombia, while attempting to reach the United States through the same route.
With such cases rising, Sandhu urged the government to place strict surveillance on overseas recruitment agencies. “The country cannot allow its young people to be trapped by organised trafficking networks,” he said.
