At least three of the 39 victims found in the back of a truck in Britain last week set off from Vietnam's "Billionaire Village" in search of their fortunes.
A billion dong may only be around $43,000, but in the rural north-central town of Do Thanh the money goes a long way. Even farmers live in palatial mansions, paid for with money sent back by family members working abroad.
Nguyen Van Ha, chairman of the rice-farming commune in Nghe An province, said, "70 to 80 percent of the villas here have been built with remittances.