When a loved one passes away far from home, grief is only the beginning. Many migrant families face heartbreaking delays and financial hurdles to bring their loved ones home for a final goodbye.
Many families in India have to deal with expensive and exhausting processes of transportation to get the last remains of their loved ones, who passed away abroad, even before they can deal with their emotional loss, shares Sydney-based social worker Jasbir Singh.
Singh is calling for a robust support system to ensure migrant families receive the dignity they deserve in such difficult times.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Jasbir Singh said, “Recently, there have been multiple incidents in Sydney where the community faced many challenges to ensure families can get the mortal remains of their loved ones and perform the last rites of the deceased.”
He cited a recent case involving Gurvinder Singh, a young man from Haryana who came to Australia on a student visa and was living alone in a studio apartment in Blacktown.
After his sudden passing, arranging his final rites proved to be a difficult and prolonged process. His funeral could only be held about six months after his death.
A similar situation occurred in Woolgoolga, where Labh Kaur, a senior community member visiting from Punjab on a tourist visa, died unexpectedly during her trip.
With no immediate family in Australia and high transportation costs, her remains could not be repatriated.
In such cases, including Kaur’s, online petitions are often launched to raise funds, but not every campaign is successful. For Kaur, the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Gurudwara stepped in to conduct her cremation, which cost around $12,000
Jasbir Singh said, “We are in contact with the Indian High Commission to find a solution and seek support in such cases.”
He emphasises the urgent need for a practical and emotionally supportive system to prevent families from facing a double burden of logistical hardship and grief.
To hear more about these challenges and possible solutions, listen to this podcast:
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