Lost in migration: 'Working abroad is not what it is cracked up to be'

Some are willing to go into a conflict zone because they could make five times more money than they would at home

For Bhindu Bhupinder, a resident of Ferozepur in Punjab, the idea of working in another country evokes memories that are hard to forget.

Bhupinder went to Southall in the UK in 2018 to look for work. Initially, he was on a tourist visa but later got it extended. He stayed with friends, one of whom was Balbir. “Though he was not a friend, you tend to grow close when you stay together,” Bhupinder says.

Balbir was younger to Bhupinder and the others in the group. He also seemed quieter, perhaps troubled by his inability to find work. Eventually, he died