Afghan students in Bengaluru worry over visas, college fees

With families scrambling for safety and banking disrupted, they stare at an uncertain future

Atifa Omid has her final-year exams starting September 2 but she can’t focus on her studies.

“How can I? I can’t recognise my country anymore. Its flag, its name has changed. The places I used to go to for sightseeing look devastated. And, you know, my family is trying to flee our homeland,” says the girl from Kabul, studying BBA at BMS College for Women in Bengaluru.

The 21-year-old is fortunate in that she’s in touch with her family since the Taliban claimed A
fghanistan on Sunday.

“But a few students in my college haven’t been able to talk to their families. The Taliban has destroyed the mobile network in some areas, and in some cases, people have fled to the mountains for safety,” she says.

Tense time

With banking disrupted in their country, a few Afghan students in Bengaluru are jittery about the coming months.

“My family sends me money for my expenses in Bengaluru. Banks aren’t operating in Afghanistan at the moment, so I am not sure how I will arrange money next month. The semester fee is also due,” says Riza Mukhtari, a BBA student from Indian Academy Degree Autonomous College along Hennur Main Road.

The absence of banking is just one of many worries. Izrael Hashimi, studying at Acharya Bangalore B School, off Magadi Road, says, “The financial condition of my family is not good. While it’s unsafe to step out in Kabul, my father doesn’t have a choice. He has to go out and work at his grocery store so he can provide for us.”

Mukhtari plans to request his college to reduce the fee of self-funded Afghan students in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Federation of International Students Association-Bangalore has decided to pool in money to support them with food and fees. There’s another question mark. Fighting his tears, Nasrat Ullah, Hashimi’s batchmate from Kabul, says, “I came to India for better education and my plan was to go back to Afghanistan and work there. But how the Taliban will rule this time,
we have to wait and see. There’s a lot of fear, especially among women.”

He has three brothers and four sisters. “My sister just finished her school and she was excited to join medical school but this happened!” says Atifa, recalling how the last Taliban regime kept women at home and mandated burqa and male company every time they stepped out.

Some visas expiring end of this month

Afghan students in Bengaluru are wondering how to have their visas extended.

An Afghan national, who represents a group of international students at a Bengaluru college, told Metrolife: “A few students will graduate by the end of August and their visas will expire. But they can’t go home because there are no flights to Afghanistan. They need a visa extension to stay put in India.” So he plans to write to the Afghanistan embassy in India.

Meanwhile, Atifa says, “Our college will help us obtain the required bonafide certificate to stay here, they have assured.”

Students who had gone to Afghanistan during their college break or because of the pandemic are waiting for visas to come back to India. While India’s home ministry has opened a new category of e-visa for Afghan nationals, students from that country are not sure India will take them in. “According to reports, it will largely benefit the Afghan Hindus and Sikhs,” says the student representative.

Afghan students can call Sarhad NGO’s helpline (80070 66900) or write to [e-mail] for assistance.