HYDERABAD: With several NRIs being laid off, many are worried about their future in a foreign land. The fear of suddenly having no income to sustain oneself in a land that’s not home has gripped several NRIs who are seeking employment assurances from officials back home.
Sheetal. M., working in Canberra, said, “I hear stories of the biggest companies sacking people left, right and centre. A friend of mine told me how talent and skill have very little to do with how people are being laid off and that’s even scarier. The fact that no matter how good you are at your job, you could lose it has raised tension among immigrants.”
Some of the biggest companies in the world like Meta, Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, and Intel, among others, have laid off thousands of employees, as western countries like the United States, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom are reportedly experiencing a slowdown – their GDP has declined for two quarters. Countries like South Korea, Japan, and Australia too, experts say, may dip into recession.
Telangana NRI Welfare Committee general secretary Syed Taher told DC that while not many have reached out to the association yet, they are working towards a plan of action soon.
“For now, we hope to get such NRIs connected to other contacts in those countries for temporary employment. We might also try and get them a job here maybe, given that it’s a great time to be part of startups that are booming here,” he added.
J. Sunder Chevakula, who works as a business process engineer in Atlanta, said that the anxiety over being laid off is definitely a common topic being discussed amongst the Indian fraternity in America. “Unless we get another job within 60 days, we will have to pack our bags and head home. Not many here are aware of NRI welfare associations so they’ll look forward to government help back home,” he said.
When contacted, officials from the NRI affairs ministry said that their current focus was on the bigger issue of collecting the mortal remains of two Indians who drowned in the USA.
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