20 missing pilgrims traced, three return home

A group of Indians who disappeared in New Zealand enroute to Australia, to participate in the World Youth Day began going home on Sunday, news reports said.

New Zealand Immigration officials confirmed, at least 25 of the 40 missing have been traced, and three are sent back to India.

The youths, who were part of a 510 member Catholic delegation to Sydney, were victims of an immigration scam, having paid over 17,000$ to an agent to acquire permanent residency when they arrived in New Zealand.

Sikh Society spokesman Daljit Singh said a couple of members of the group are leaving today as they now understand that they do not have residency and are departing before their visas expire on August 5.

Singh, who has been in contact with some of the missing Indian pilgrims, said some are as young as 16, and thought they were coming in Auckland to study.

The men, mainly from the Punjab region, abandoned their Catholic family hosts as soon as they realized they had been taken for a ride and went to ground after failing to check in for their scheduled flights to Sydney on Tuesday.

Manprit Singh said fake "immigration agents" scoured the streets of India looking for people to send to New Zealand and other countries with bogus visas.

"It doesn't just happen in India, its everywhere in Asia and Europe where people want to come to a better country," he said. "These people have good homes and jobs but it is a trend among young people in India to want to travel."

Meanwhile, the Indian Catholic community has been shocked by the incident. The church with the help of Indian High Commission has been working with immigration officials to locate the remaining missing pilgrims.