Don't make the mistake I did: Sikh youth warns in tearful video from Mexico

A video circulating online shows a Sikh youth purportedly in Mexico, warning people against using the illegal dunki route to enter the US. The man, who is seen crying in the video, says he is unable to walk after being beaten up.A screenshot from the viral video in which a Sikh youth advises people against taking the dunki route to the US. (Image: X/@Jkaur0304)A clip has emerged on social media showing a Sikh man purportedly stranded in Mexico warning people against attempting to enter the US through the illegal dunki route and describing the harsh treatment he faced. The video, first posted on TikTok on Wednesday before being shared on platforms, including X, shows the man lying on a bed with folded hands.The Sikh man urges people not to travel to Mexico through the dunki route and warns of the difficulties he claims to have experienced while attempting to reach the US. He says he is unable to walk after beatings.Captioned "Disgusting treatment of an Indian Sikh in Mexico", the video shows the youth alleging that he was assaulted after trying to escape. He claims he was beaten so severely that he is now unable to walk properly. Visibly distressed, he repeatedly appeals to others not to make the same mistake.India Today Digital has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the video or the claims made by the man in the clip.In the 33-second clip, reportedly uploaded on August 13, the youth says, "Please, nobody should make the same mistake I made. Don't come here through this route." He then alleges that he was beaten after attempting to escape, saying, "I tried to escape, and they beat me very badly. I can't even walk properly now." Pointing towards the person filming the video, he adds, "This is the person who brought me here," before ending the clip with folded hands saying, "I made a big mistake and I have already paid the price for it."WHAT IS THE DUNKI ROUTE?The term dunki route refers to an informal network of clandestine migration routes used by people seeking to enter countries such as the US without following legal immigration channels. The word is derived from the Punjabi term dunki, meaning to hop from one place to another.Agents or smugglers arrange travel through multiple countries, often using tourist visas, fake documents and illegal border crossings, charging lakhs, or even crores for their services.For Indians heading to the US, one of the commonly reported routes begins with a flight from India to a country in South America, such as Brazil, Guyana, Ecuador or Colombia.From there, migrants travel north towards Panama and cross the Darien Gap, a roughly 100-km stretch of dense rainforest between Colombia and Panama. The trek can take several days and exposes migrants to difficult terrain, rivers, criminal gangs, robbery and other dangers.After crossing into Panama, migrants typically continue through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala before reaching Mexico, often travelling by buses, trucks, boats or on foot. From Mexico, they attempt to cross the US-Mexico border, sometimes by scaling fences or crossing rivers. The exact route varies depending on the agents and the circumstances, and several newer routes have also come up which involve travelling first to European countries before flying to Latin America or Mexico.- EndsPublished By: Shounak SanyalPublished On: Aug 14, 2026 19:20 IST