India urged Germany to send baby Ariha back to the country at the earliest asserting that it is important for the child to be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment.
The child has been living in foster care in Berlin for over 20 months. The German authorities had taken her custody on September 23, 2021, when she was seven months old.
As per ANI reports, Ariha Shah was accidentally hurt by her grandmother in September 2021 after which the German authorities took her away.
While addressing the briefing on Friday, EAM spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We are dismayed to learn that the child was abruptly shifted away from her current foster parent to a specialised foster care arrangement. The manner in which this shift was carried out is a matter of concern. We and the parents believe that this rapid change is not in the child’s best interest and could have far-reaching consequences for her emotional and mental development.”
He further stated, “We would like to reiterate that Ariha Shah is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided. We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring the return of Ariha Shah to India.”
Talking about the case, Bagchi said that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of India, Berlin, have been persistently advocating for the return of Ariha Shah to India, “The child is an Indian national and she was placed in the custody of Germany’s Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) on 23 September 2021, when she was 7 months old. She has now been in foster care for more than 20 months,” he said.
“Cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided. We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring the return of Ariha Shah to India.”
“The German authorities have been made aware of India’s child protection system and the details of potential foster parents have also been shared with them,” he said.
“Ariha’s continued placement in German foster care and infringement of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of deep concern to the Government of India and the parents.”
Jaishankar conveys concerns over bringing Ariha back to his German counterpart
Last year, in the month of December, Indian EAM Jaishankar conveyed to his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock the concerns over bringing the baby girl back to India.
“Our efforts have been guided by the best interests of the child, which we believe can be fully realised only when she is in her home country where her socio-cultural rights can be safeguarded,” Bagchi said.
“Accordingly, we have been requesting Germany to return the child to India. The embassy has repeatedly requested German authorities to ensure that Ariha’s connection with her cultural, religious and linguistic background is not compromised and sought consular access to the child,” he added.
Bagchi said Baerbock, during her visit to India, had also conveyed that the German side was also bearing in mind the cultural identity of each child that is taken care of by the youth offices in Germany.
“Unfortunately our requests in this regard for safeguarding Ariha’s national and cultural identity have not been met,” he said.
Source: WION
