NEW DELHI: The Government of India denied an extension of visa to hundreds of Afghan students studying in different universities, multiplying fears about their legal status in the host country.
As per media reports, over 21,000 Afghan citizens had settled in India, including 11,000 asylum seekers, but they were still not counted in the refugees’ category.
Under the Foreigners Act of India 1946, the country categorized Afghan refugees and asylum seekers as illegal expatriates, and the law hampered any access to basic rights and facilities.
The dismal situation exposed India’s tall claims of being a friendly nation to Afghanistan, as the Afghan nationals living there have been subject to extreme social and economic hardships for the last 15 years. They have also been denied access to earning a livelihood and to be entitled to education and basic health facilities.
In 2022, India, despite knowing that thousands of Afghan students were studying at Indian universities, had repealed their visas.
Afghan Students’ Protest
A few days back, scores of Afghan students staged a protest in New Delhi for an extension of their stay and resumption of their studies, but in vain. After the expiry of their visas, these Afghan students feared their constant fear of possible arrest by police and other law-enforcing agencies.
In the past, India offered many scholarships to thousands of overseas students from countries such as Afghanistan to pursue undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. Now, the students are neither getting scholarships nor permission to work in India, media reports added.
