Gujarat man dies in illegal bid to cross US-Canada border

AHMEDABAD: A 22-year-old man from Nardipur in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar died of a heart attack while attempting to cross the US-Canada border, marking the latest in a series of fatalities among Gujaratis trying to enter the United States illegally.
Yash Prajapati, who had travelled to Canada with a group of eight in Aug, succumbed to extreme weather conditions around 10 days ago, as confirmed by sources from the Gujarati community in the US and Gandhinagar police.
Sources told TOI said that a man from Kalol in Gandhinagar known as "Varghese" facilitated the journey. However, details regarding the visa he used to travel to Canada remain unclear. Conflicting reports have emerged about the circumstances leading to his death.
According to Gujaratis living in America, Prajapati was arrested while attempting to cross the border and later released from a detention camp. A relative allegedly came in a car to pick him up, and the youth suffered a fatal heart attack while travelling in the car.
Others claim that Prajapati had to wade through mud and cross rivers and streams in harsh conditions before reaching the American side, where a cab was waiting for him. Shortly after getting into a cab on the American side, he collapsed from a heart attack.
Sources indicate that the 22-year-old's body is expected to arrive in India soon for last rites.
This incident is part of a worrying trend. Earlier, people tried to cross into America illegally through the Mexico border. It was a costly and time-consuming route, fraught with danger. Sources said this and the heightened security at the Mexico border led to a sharp increase in illegal crossings from Canada into the US. However, the risk of deportation remains high if caught at the Canadian border. Many attempt the journey after entering Canada on visitor visas, trying to cross undetected.
Over the past two years, at least nine Gujaratis have died attempting to cross into the US, including a man from Kalol, four members of a family from Dingucha, and another four from Mehsana.
In Jan 2023, nine Gujaratis set out for America via the Caribbean islands but have been missing ever since. This matter reached the Gujarat high court, and the families of the missing individuals appealed to the Indian govt to search for them, but efforts have yielded no results.