Indian techie shares struggles of life abroad, internet says ‘Nobody's stopping you'

Hindustan Times

a day ago

An Indian techie living in Europe has sparked a conversation online after sharing a video about the downsides of life abroad. Dev Vijay Vargiya, a software developer based in Sweden, highlighted challenges such as isolation and extreme weather that come with living far from home. An Indian techie in Europe talks about the challenges of living away from home (Representational image)
But if his intention was to discourage fellow Indians from moving to Europe, it may have backfired. The comments section of his Instagram post was filled with users telling him to simply return to India if he found life in Europe so difficult.
(Also read: 'They are living life, we are surviving it': Indian man voices frustration after visiting Paris, Zurich)
The harsh reality of life in Europe
In his video, titled 'Reality of life abroad (no one will tell)', Dev said that he had been living in Sweden for quite some time. While many people feel that living abroad is glamorous, this Indian man sought to disabuse them of the notion.
Instead, Dev pointed to the fact that foreigners living and working in Europe have to leave within a week if they lose their jobs. 'Even if you have worked in the country for years, paid your taxes, it doesn't matter. Your residence depends on your job,' he explained.
Next, he spoke about the high cost of living in Europe, saying that expenses are so high and people have to pay 30-50% of their income as tax. 'Monthly rent and groceries are so expensive that by the end of the month, you have nothing left to save,' said the Indian techie.
He then continued by criticising the weather, calling it overhyped. Dev revealed that in the summers, the sun does not set till 10 or 11pm in the night. Meanwhile, winters in Europe bring extremely low temperatures with complete darkness and no sunshine.
Finally, the Indian techie spoke about feeling lonely and isolated in a new country. 'If you are someone who loves their family and friends, think twice before moving to Europe,' he warned.
The Instagram video, shared on July 2, gained wider attention after it was posted on X a few days ago.
Video sparks backlash
'If he had really considered these significant problems he would have returned. Him staying there and complaining says a lot more about life in Europe than the content of the video,' wrote one X user named Chakradar Raju.
'Walking on clean roads recording video without any vehicles brushing aside, honking, neat platforms and comparing that with India!' another said.
Some sought to fact-check his claims, with one X user writing: 'You are not required to leave immediately or within one week in most cases. Grace periods are common (usually 30–90 days), during which you can search for a new job or arrange your departure.'
'30% of salary is taken away in India too if you earn amount equivalent to India in Europe. Of course, even after adjusting to PPP,' another noted.
Some criticised him for referring to Europe as one big whole rather than separate countries. Comments were similar on Instagram, where one commenter said, 'Then come back.. who's stopping you from coming back to your own country?'
Another wrote: 'Why are you there then?'
'Come back and work as a software developer in Bangalore and enjoy the traffic,' a third comment suggested.