'They see a risk. A potential overstayer': Vlogger reveals truth of flying with Indian passport
Framed as a “reality check” rather than a complaint, Sharma’s post sheds light on the emotional labor behind every trip made with an Indian passport.
- Jul 21, 2025,
- Updated Jul 21, 2025 7:53 AM IST
A travel vlogger has ignited a fierce debate online by pulling back the curtain on what many Indian travellers quietly endure but rarely say out loud: suspicion, scrutiny, and systemic bias at international borders.
“No one says it, but I know: They don’t always see a traveller. They see a risk. A potential overstayer. A brown-skinned man with a passport trying to pass through,” Jayant Sharma wrote in his Instagram post.
Framed as a “reality check” rather than a complaint, Sharma’s post sheds light on the emotional labor behind every trip made with an Indian passport. It’s not the itineraries or airfares that take the most effort, he explains—it's proving you deserve to go in the first place.
“I’ve spent more time convincing embassies I’ll ‘come back’ than planning where I’ll go,” he wrote. He described the silent discomfort of handing over a passport only to feel judged, questioned, and doubted in seconds—before saying a word.
Sharma’s reflections extend beyond bureaucratic red tape. They touch on the internal adaptations Indian travellers make to soften assumptions: dressing a certain way, speaking in measured tones, and flashing reassuring smiles “not out of joy, but out of fear of being misunderstood.”
Every border checkpoint, he wrote, becomes a stage where travellers like him must rehearse respectability. “We plan escape routes through countries that are ‘easier.’ We carry extra documents. We over-explain. We brace.”
The post struck a deep chord with thousands across the Indian diaspora and beyond. One commenter wrote, “This is such a needed post. It hits hard.” Another added, “As a third-world traveller, I felt this to my core.”
While some framed it as an issue of “passport privilege,” others called for systemic reform in how border control systems operate—especially for citizens of the global south.
Sharma made clear that his post wasn’t about pity, but visibility. “This is the ugly side of travel,” he concluded. “For every Indian traveller who has felt humiliated, delayed, dismissed—I see you. And I hope someday we don’t have to fight to prove we simply want to explore.”
A travel vlogger has ignited a fierce debate online by pulling back the curtain on what many Indian travellers quietly endure but rarely say out loud: suspicion, scrutiny, and systemic bias at international borders.
“No one says it, but I know: They don’t always see a traveller. They see a risk. A potential overstayer. A brown-skinned man with a passport trying to pass through,” Jayant Sharma wrote in his Instagram post.
Framed as a “reality check” rather than a complaint, Sharma’s post sheds light on the emotional labor behind every trip made with an Indian passport. It’s not the itineraries or airfares that take the most effort, he explains—it's proving you deserve to go in the first place.
“I’ve spent more time convincing embassies I’ll ‘come back’ than planning where I’ll go,” he wrote. He described the silent discomfort of handing over a passport only to feel judged, questioned, and doubted in seconds—before saying a word.
Sharma’s reflections extend beyond bureaucratic red tape. They touch on the internal adaptations Indian travellers make to soften assumptions: dressing a certain way, speaking in measured tones, and flashing reassuring smiles “not out of joy, but out of fear of being misunderstood.”
Every border checkpoint, he wrote, becomes a stage where travellers like him must rehearse respectability. “We plan escape routes through countries that are ‘easier.’ We carry extra documents. We over-explain. We brace.”
The post struck a deep chord with thousands across the Indian diaspora and beyond. One commenter wrote, “This is such a needed post. It hits hard.” Another added, “As a third-world traveller, I felt this to my core.”
While some framed it as an issue of “passport privilege,” others called for systemic reform in how border control systems operate—especially for citizens of the global south.
Sharma made clear that his post wasn’t about pity, but visibility. “This is the ugly side of travel,” he concluded. “For every Indian traveller who has felt humiliated, delayed, dismissed—I see you. And I hope someday we don’t have to fight to prove we simply want to explore.”