The remains of 39 Vietnamese people found dead in a truck near London last month have been brought to Vietnam, bringing to a close a tragic saga that has devastated rural communities in the South-East Asian country.

Key points: The 39 victims came from impoverished parts of rural Vietnam

The 39 victims came from impoverished parts of rural Vietnam Families have had to pay large sums to have the remains repatriated

Families have had to pay large sums to have the remains repatriated The UK truck driver responsible has pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration

Photos by the official Vietnam News Agency showed the arrival at the Hanoi airport of 16 bodies and seven urns, which had been flown from London.

They were loaded into ambulances on a foggy morning for a trip to their hometowns in several provinces in northern and central Vietnam.

The discovery of the bodies in the back of a refrigerated truck after being smuggled into Britain has shone a spotlight on the illicit trade that sends the poor of Asia, Africa and the Middle East on perilous journeys to the West.

Police said the victims were aged between 15 and 44. While no cause of death has been officially established, the circumstances suggested asphyxiation.

The body of 19-year old Bui Thi Nhung was among those returned to Vietnam this weekend. ( AP: Hau Dinh )

Vietnamese authorities have arrested 10 people in connection with the deaths, though none have been formally charged.

Most of the victims came from just a handful of central provinces in Vietnam, where incomes sag beneath the national average and many people work as fishermen, farmers or factory workers.

Poor job prospects, environmental disasters and the promise of financial rewards are all factors pushing people to leave.

Ten of the victims came from Ha Tinh province, where a massive toxic dump in 2016 killed tonnes of fish, decimating livelihoods and sparking an uptick in illegal migration, according to experts.

Nguyen Dinh Gia, father of victim Nguyen Dinh Luong, said his son had left home for Britain in "hopes for a better life".

"How could I describe how big this loss is for my family … but the return of his body has helped ease the pain," Mr Gia said after his son's body was buried on Thursday.

The brother of 18-year-old Hoang Van Tiep carries his portrait outside during his funeral. ( AP: Hau Dinh )

Their families have waited weeks for their bodies to come back and took loans from the government to cover the cost of repatriation — $US1,800 ($2,660) for ashes, or $US2,900 ($4,290) for bodies.

Many families opted to pay more for the bodies so they could give their children traditional burials since cremation is rare in rural Vietnam.

"I'm very sad to have to bury my own son," Vo Van Binh said, who buried his 25-year-old son.

"I wanted to bring him back in full so I could see his face one last time."

Under rainy skies in central Nghe An province, scores of relatives and villagers gathered for a final farewell for Hoang Van Tiep, 18 and Nguyen Van Hung, 33, two cousins who died on the truck.

"I've never attended a funeral as big as this. It's a sad day for all of us," said neighbour Hoang Thi Mai, her eyes wet with tears.

"I hope they are happy in heaven," she added.

Several people have been arrested in Britain in connection to the deaths, including the 25-year-old driver of the truck Maurice Robinson, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist illegal immigration in court this week.

Families have paid large sums to have their children's bodies or ashes returned. ( AP: Hau Dinh )

Wires