Kin of Indian girl in German care stage sit-in

New Delhi, August 11

The parents of an Indian child in the care of Germany’s Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) since 2021 have stepped up their campaign to have her repatriated to the country. The parents on Friday staged a sit-in here to demand that the child, Ariha Shah, be allowed to celebrate Independence Day in her home country.

In the latest move, Jugendamt has stopped visitations by the parents while gifts sent from India were returned unopened. “It is clear the Germans are determined to cut us out of our daughter’s life and keep her permanently in Germany… we fear this order giving them full custody will be used to change her nationality,” her mother Dhara Shah told The Tribune. “The only hope for Ariha is the Indian Government. We have come here to appeal to the PM to take up this case of a Gujarati infant. Our only request is that she be sent to foster care or extended family in India,” she added.