Amritsar, Sept. 29 -- Despite losing Rs.55 lakh to a travel agent to get him settled in the US, the parents of Akashdeep Singh, 23, now plan to send him to Australia by getting him married to a woman who has the required bands in the English language test to study abroad. Akashdeep, who belongs to the border village of Rajatal, was among the first batch of Indians deported by the US on February 5. His parents had sold two of the 2.5 acres to fund his dollar dreams. His father, Swaran Singh, says, "My son was in shock for several months. He had endured an eight-month-long struggle to reach the US but it all came to nought. He helps me in farming and other household chores." "After the financial jolt, I resorted to doing a private job in Amritsar. With the help of relatives, we bought a few buffaloes to earn some money by selling their milk. However, we are under heavy debt. Our financial condition is tight. We are struggling to make ends meet. We have repeatedly asked the travel agent to repay at least a portion of the amount, but he has not returned anything. He keeps making promises. We don't plan to lodge a complaint as we are hopeful that he will return the money," he said. Swaran added, "Now we are thinking about sending our son to Australia by getting him married to a woman having the required IELTS band. He will pursue higher education there before trying for a job. There is no employment opportunity here for him." Asked how he plans to arrange the funds, the father said, "We are hopeful the agent will return at least a part of the money we paid earlier." Before taking the illegal route to the US, Akashdeep had tried to go to Canada on study permit but failed to score the required IELTS exam score. After failing to improve his score for two years, he decided to go to Dubai on a work permit from where he headed to the US through the donkey route. Deported but undeterred, Mandeep Singh, 29, from Chohla Sahib in Tarn Taran district plans to go to Dubai in search of a job as he has been unable to find a steady source of income over the past six months. His shattered US dream has pushed his family into heavy debt and caused mental trauma. On his complaint, the police registered a case against the travel agent who sent him to the US through the donkey route. "However, they are not taking the case seriously and have made no effort to arrest the agent. It appears the agent has bribed them to evade arrest. The government has done nothing except pay lip service. The issue is no longer a priority. The agent sends messages to assure us that he will return the money, but we haven't received anything," says Mandeep's father, Naunihal Singh. "I run a small sanitary shop, which gets us limited returns. My son is jobless, so I'm gearing up to send him to Dubai," he says, adding, "We will manage to procure funds." He declined to share details. Mandeep had gone to Spain in 2022 and was working well there. He came in contact with an agent based in Chohla Sahib. In September 2024, he left for the US from Spain. He reached the US border in four months after a journey of hardships. He paid Rs.35 lakh that was arranged through loans and selling the residential plot....