Stranded, 500 Indians with German resident permits fear job loss, future
46 upvotes
22 downvotes
Nearly 500 Indian
nationals with resident permits in Germany have been stranded across the
country ever since the COVID-19 lockdown. As many as 107 of them are in
Bengaluru, concerned that their permits will soon expire and their
children’s education in Germany would be in serious jeopardy.
Germany had operated
special flights to fly back German nationals from the Kempegowda
International Airport and other airports countrywide. However, those
with resident permits residing in Germany for years were not allowed in
those flights.
“We had come to India
on vacation and got stuck here. Eighty per cent of us have jobs in
Germany. But the companies have said that the work from home (WFH)
facility will be available only for the next two weeks. There is a big
fear of losing jobs,” Sushma, one of the 107 stranded in Bengaluru told DH.
Asked to Reach Delhi
They had approached the
German embassy, which offered to accommodate them in two special
flights departing from Delhi on May 3 and 5. “They said if you can reach
Delhi, we have no problem taking those with resident permits. But with
the lockdown, we are unable to go anywhere,” said Sushma.
The first priority in
repatriation flights were given to German nationals and those from the
European Union. “Though stranded here, we are all paying hefty rents
back there. We have tried to reach out to the embassy and the PMO, but
all our efforts have been in vain."
Among the stranded,
Ranjan Chowdhary had arrived in India on March 5, with plans to take his
family back. “I have a job in Hanover in an Indian firm. Now, they are
saying if I cannot return, they will pay me only Indian salary, around
400 Euros. My rent alone is 1000 Euros" he said.
Chowdhary is also
concerned about his educational documents and other certificates stuck
in his house in Germany. “I tried reaching out to an Indian group there,
but everyone seems helpless. The lockdown announcement was so sudden
that I could not make any arrangements,” he lamented.
Of the 484 stranded,
107 each are in Bengaluru and Delhi, 61 in Hyderabad, 56 in Mumbai, 43
in Chennai, 36 in Kolkata, 24 in Ahmedabad, 21 each in Kochi and Pune,
eight in Lucknow and three in Dhanbad. Eighty per cent of them are
employed in various companies based across Germany, while the rest are dependents, mainly spouses and children.
Deccan Herald