Donkey Route and Nicaragua

Context (IE | TH): The recent episode of Indians on a Nicaraguan flight is suspected to be another instance of the donkey route.

About the ‘Donkey Route’

‘Dunki’ (Punjabi pronunciation of a donkey) means “hopping from one place to another”.
Several illegal immigrants take such routes to reach countries like the US, the UK or Europe.

India’s most popular donkey route starts by reaching Latin American countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela.
These countries provide visas on arrival for Indians or pre-arrival tourist visas.
Immigrants from Latin American countries are taken to Colombia.

From Columbia, immigrants move through the dense forest of the Darian Gap in Panama.
Lack of water, wild animals, criminal gangs, robbery, and rape are risks immigrants take on this route.
An alternate, safer route is from San Andrés to Mexico through illegal boats.
Immigrants enter the US from Mexico through Guatemala as the main junction.
Migrants must cross the US-Mexico border fencing or take the dangerous Rio Grande River route.

Capital: Managua; Lanuage: Spanish
It is a Central American nation with mountains and fertile valleys in the west.
Two big lakes, Nicaragua and Managua, are connected by the Tipitapa River.
The Pacific coast is volcanic and very fertile.
The swampy Caribbean coast is aptly called the “Mosquito Coast” due to the presence of mosquitos.

Nicaragua has very little consular presence worldwide, with no embassy in India.
The honorary consular of Nicaragua in India is not authorised to issue any visa.
There is no provision for getting an advance visa or visa-on-arrival for Nicaragua from India.
Even the Nicaraguan government has not spelt out the policy in the public domain.