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Recession-hit Indian students
flock gurdwaras for food
LONDON: Hundreds
of Indian students who come to the
United Kingdom
to pursue courses in colleges are unable to find parttime work to
fund their stay and studies here and have been forced to eat in
gurdwaras in Southall.
There has been a
three-fold rise in the number of Indian students coming to the UK
since the point-based immigration system was introduced in April
this year.
Many come in the
hope of finding work so they can maintain themselves here. A BBC
Radio 5 documentary reveals that the situation turns desperate when
they cannot find work, and are reluctant to return to Indian for the
shame that will follow. Many such students flock to the gurdwaras in
Southall for free food. The documentary quoted Nitin Walia, a
student who has sought refuge at the gurdwara, as saying: "I can't
afford to rent a room, I'm borrowing money from relatives just to
buy my bus fare to college. I will only be able to rent a room if I
can find a job, if I can't find one I will return to
India."
Didar Singh
Randhawa, president of Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall, said a
combination of recession and a surge in the number of students was
changing the local landscape. "We see hundreds of students hanging
out in the streets, but there could be thousands. Most come here
everyday for food.We are happy to provide food. But they also ask
for accommodation. If they don't find anything, we provide them with
shelter for a day or two.
We are hearing
that some are sleeping rough." Ravi Singh, a Business Management
student, said, "Agents in
India
say you will definitely find a part-time job to fund your studies in
the UK. But it's totally different here, there are no jobs."
The Sri Guru
Singh Sabha in Southall recently set up a telephone helpline,
offering students advice on anything from how to apply for a
National Insurance number to buying a travel pass. "Some of them are
begging us to send them back but we haven't got the resources,"
Randhawa told the programme.
2
December 2009
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