Afghan students hope for refugee status after completion of studies
Mangaluru: The Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ (ICCR) decision to continue scholarships for Afghan students in India has come as a relief to a majority of the students studying in the city. However, due to the growing uncertainty back home, students want the Indian government to grant work permits and refugee status once they complete their education.
A notification for Afghan students under ICCR’s Afghan Scholarship Scheme states the ICCR scholarship will continue as before for students enrolled under the scholarship scheme for the previous academic year and 2021-22. Afghan students already present in India have been advised to apply for an extension of visas on the online e-FRRO platform.
Further, for ICCR scholarship students present in India who are shortly completing or have completed their courses, the ICCR has stated that such students are eligible to apply for admissions to Indian universities/ institutions (those listed in the A2A portal only) for different course/ higher studies. ICCR scholarships, based on the availability of slots, can then be considered upon confirmation of admission by an eligible university/ institute. (This option is also available for hitherto self-financed Afghanistan students).
A PhD student representing the Afghan students’ community in Mangaluru, welcoming the ICCR’s decision, told TOI: “Mangalore University authorities have asked outgoing Afghan students to apply for higher studies, including post-doctoral. Nearly 12 students who are likely to complete their course this year, are expected to continue with their higher studies. The conditions back home are also not favourable. It has been nearly two months since the Taliban took control and the uncertainty is only growing. The students whose families are staying in prominent provinces have been able to stay in touch, but those staying in rural provinces are finding it difficult to get in touch with their loved ones. We are not sure when we will be able to go back home. As many as 58 students are studying in the city and of them, nearly three PhD students who had returned with their families for vacations are stranded in Kabul. We are not sure if they will be able to return to complete their course. Further, once we complete our education course, we hope the Indian government will grant those willing to stay back work permits and refugee status,” the student representative said.
A notification for Afghan students under ICCR’s Afghan Scholarship Scheme states the ICCR scholarship will continue as before for students enrolled under the scholarship scheme for the previous academic year and 2021-22. Afghan students already present in India have been advised to apply for an extension of visas on the online e-FRRO platform.
Further, for ICCR scholarship students present in India who are shortly completing or have completed their courses, the ICCR has stated that such students are eligible to apply for admissions to Indian universities/ institutions (those listed in the A2A portal only) for different course/ higher studies. ICCR scholarships, based on the availability of slots, can then be considered upon confirmation of admission by an eligible university/ institute. (This option is also available for hitherto self-financed Afghanistan students).
A PhD student representing the Afghan students’ community in Mangaluru, welcoming the ICCR’s decision, told TOI: “Mangalore University authorities have asked outgoing Afghan students to apply for higher studies, including post-doctoral. Nearly 12 students who are likely to complete their course this year, are expected to continue with their higher studies. The conditions back home are also not favourable. It has been nearly two months since the Taliban took control and the uncertainty is only growing. The students whose families are staying in prominent provinces have been able to stay in touch, but those staying in rural provinces are finding it difficult to get in touch with their loved ones. We are not sure when we will be able to go back home. As many as 58 students are studying in the city and of them, nearly three PhD students who had returned with their families for vacations are stranded in Kabul. We are not sure if they will be able to return to complete their course. Further, once we complete our education course, we hope the Indian government will grant those willing to stay back work permits and refugee status,” the student representative said.
