Save Ariha Team Urges India for Baby’s Repatriation from German Foster Care

New Delhi, January 11 (TNA) The Save Ariha Team has intensified calls for the Indian government to secure the return of five-year-old Indian citizen Ariha Shah from German foster care, amid the upcoming visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, citing violations of her cultural rights and UNCRC obligations.

Ariha was seized by Berlin’s Jugendamt (Child Services) in September 2021 at seven months old over suspected abuse allegations, which were dropped by police in February 2022 after hospital clearance. Despite a 2024 higher court recommendation for parent-child reunification, she remains in custody, shuffled across five foster homes and isolated from Indian culture, language, and festivals.

In a January 9 press release, the team highlighted no pending German legal cases, yet ongoing parental rights termination and adoption pursuits, with parents billed ₹22 lakh in foster fees. They urged diplomatic intervention during the Chancellor’s mid-January visit, noting issues with embassy access and EAM Jaishankar’s prior efforts.

Campaigners decry emotional harm from cultural erasure, financial exploitation, and instability, labelling it a breach of child rights treaties. The #GermanyReturnAriha hashtag trends as families and activists demand swift repatriation to ensure Ariha’s Indian upbringing.