Afghan students appeal for work permits, financial aid
Mangaluru: Students from Afghanistan who are in the final year of their course, or who will likely complete it this year, have requested financial aid At least for the next six months Students visited the office of the city police commissioner on Saturday and expressed their concerns to N Shashi Kumar and DCP (Law and Order) Hariram Shankar.
A total 58 Afghan students are studying in the city, and of them 11 had returned home. Some of them are living with their families. On the sidelines of this meeting, Nasir Ahmad Shafiei, a PhD student, told TOI that their major concern is the extension of visas and passport renewal. “Visas of a few students, especially those in the final year, may expire by September, and extension of their visas for about six months would be useful. We also request the Indian government to grant Afghan students who have graduated to get work permits and refugee status, so that they overcome their problems, especially financial issues. We hope that the Indian government will grant humanitarian aid to help students and researchers who are stuck in Afghanistan, so that they can come back, and do not miss the academic year,” he said.
The students said that nearly 100 Afghan students selected for educational support by the Indian government may be given emergency visas to come here, as the academic year is commencing. They also hoped that the government would help students who want to go back to reunite with their families, who are in Afghanistan.
A few students said that it was painful to see certain incidents, due to which they have had sleepless nights. They are mostly in touch with their families through text messages. The women said that their dreams have been destroyed, due to the events that have transpired back home. They came to India to study, and wanted to go back and work in their country. They are worried about the future.
City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar assured all possible cooperation for their safety, and said that their concerns would be shared with the state government. The state government appointed additional DGP Umesh Kumar as the nodal officer to coordinate with the central government for bringing back the people of the state who are stranded in Afghanistan.
