Explainer: Punjab's illegal travel fetish
As Kazakhstan case shows, crackdowns & awareness drives may not be enough to deter youth
Updated At : 07:19 AM Oct 25, 2025 IST
The viral video of seven young men from Ropar district who were stranded in Kazakhstan after being promised driving jobs.
DESPITE repeated crackdowns and tragedies, illegal travel agents continue to operate across Punjab, exploiting the desperation of unemployed youth who dream of a better life abroad. The latest case involves seven young men from Ropar district who were stranded in Kazakhstan after being promised driving jobs. Instead, they were forced into gruelling manual labour. They were housed in metal containers and denied basic rights. Each had paid Rs 1.5 lakh to local travel agents, who vanished once the youth reached foreign soil.
