Migrant trafficking is surging worldwide, with a growing number of Indian migrants risking everything in search of a better life in the West. Many embark on the perilous "Dunki route" - named after the Punjabi route 'to hop" - a vast network of dangerous pathways and illegal border crossings stretching across the world from India through the jungles of Latin America, all aimed at one final destination: The United States or Europe.

With exclusive access, we follow several migrants as they navigate these treacherous journeys, revealing the hidden realities of their desperate quest for safety and opportunity. Families mortgage land to pay agents. Migrants are packed into boats, ferried across crocodile-infested rivers, and pushed through forests controlled by armed gangs. Extortion, violence, and exploitation mark every step, and for many, the journey ends in death, deportation, or prison.

This investigative special uncovers how the ‘dunki’ network operates, and the cat-and-mouse game between agents who profit from keeping the routes running and the authorities who try to crack down.
But as borders harden, the demand only grows, revealing the true cost of chasing the American dream.

Part of the award-winning series Undercover Asia.