Global Courant
NEW DELHI – India on Friday urged Germany to return a 2-year-old Indian girl who has been in the shelter system for more than 20 months, because it violated “her social, cultural and linguistic rights”.
Ariha Shah was taken away from her Indian parents in September 2021 by German authorities in Berlin when she was seven months old.
Her father was working in Germany at the time, but the parents have since returned to India.
Shah’s parents, according to Indian media reports, said she was accidentally injured by her grandmother, who was visiting from India.
Authorities placed the girl in the custody of the German Youth Welfare Office when the girl was taken to hospital.
Her detention has since become a diplomatic matter, and New Delhi took it up with Germany’s foreign minister during a visit to India in December.
“We urge the German authorities to do whatever is necessary to send Ariha to India as soon as possible, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian citizen,” said Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi. , Friday to reporters.
“Ariha’s continued placement in German foster care and violation of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of great concern to the Government of India and parents,” he said.
Mr Bagchi said that the best interests of the child can be fully realized if she is in her home country where her socio-cultural rights can be ensured.
He said India has a robust child welfare and protection system and there are potential foster parents in India who are willing to raise the child in her own socio-cultural environment if necessary.
Germany’s foreign ministry said it is in contact with Indian authorities and cannot comment on ongoing proceedings in youth welfare agencies and family courts and has no influence over them.
“The decision whether, and if so under what conditions, the child Ariha Shah can be transferred to India is for the legal assessment of the responsible court in the course of the ongoing proceedings.”
During a visit to India in December, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the child was doing well and that her “well-being is the first priority”.
She said that Germany “took into account the cultural identity of each child that the youth offices in Germany look after”. REUTERS
