Afghan students worried about visa status
"The situation is still grave back home, but my family has assured that they are fine," shares Md Karimi, a Masters student from a city college.
Hyderabad: About a month after the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, students from the strife-torn country are worried about their visa status. Although some have a valid visa now, what will happen once their visa expires is uncertain.
“The situation is still grave back home, but my family has assured that they are fine,” shares Md Karimi, a Masters student from a city college.
“I recently completed my course and gave the final examination as well. My visa will expire in a few months. A few weeks ago, I got in touch with my contact at the Embassy of Afghanistan in New Delhi, but they had no concrete answer. I also got in touch with officials at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and also the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which sponsors our education. The officers asked me to not worry and said they were looking into the situation. I am still waiting for confirmation regarding the issue,” Karimi said.
Many students, who have either finished their courses, or are in the final year of college, are also seeking an extension of their visa.
“Since they took over my country, I have been hearing that the Taliban has denied jobs to those with a foreign degree. I have worked very hard to get this education, and do not see a future in Afghanistan anymore. Hence, I reached out to my professors as well as the ICCR. I am awaiting a decision from the Indian authorities,” one student said on condition of anonymity.
While students in the city do not want to go back, many students who were to start their courses this academic year are stuck in Afghanistan. Rahimullah, who completed his Master’s degree in Hyderabad, is awaiting the confirmation on his PhD course.
“I applied and even got selected to pursue PhD at Osmania University. However, due to the situation, the confirmation from ICCR has not come through. We do not even have any flights for India anymore. I hope that situation gets better soon. Hyderabad is like my home, and I can’t wait to come back to the city,” he said.
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