CONTINENTAL EUROPE

: Post Indian independence, some Sikh students had gone for higher studies to European Universities especially Germany-some of whom stayed back and even got married locally. From 1962, because of restrictions on entering UK, the Sikhs were forced to explore possibilities of migrating to other countries including Continental Europe. As it happened these countries were also short of labour. The pace of migration picked up in 1970s but still the numbers remained small. European countries were sympathetic towards asylum seekers on humanitarian grounds based on political and religious persecution which enabled increased immigration in the 1980s and 1990s. To be eligible to get residence status, one had first to reach the country where asylum was to be sought. While some could enter Europe on tourist visa, others had to find alternative routes to reach their destination. Arising from this demand, illegal migration intensified and almost became an industry. Country selection in general was rather random. First priority or initial stop was to a place where there was some contact or lead and where there was better chance of getting residence or work permit. Over the last two decades, Southern European countries have been quite liberal in regularizing illegal migration with amnesty every few years. Portugal still allows immigrants coming on Schengen visa to overstay and subsequently get residency status based on certain requirements. However, wages in Southern Europe are low and many Sikhs try to move northwards where wages are higher. There is thus a movement of immigrants within Europe till they get settled in a country where they can get their stay regularized and feel more secure financially and politically. I submit that in many European countries their numbers would be larger than 10 percent of total Indian immigrants - in Italy Sikhs as a percentage of Indian immigrants are at a high of 64% and in Spain about 40%. In Greece - Sikhs would be majority amongst Indian immigrants.

SIKH SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR I & II

During the two World Wars, Sikh soldiers were actively involved in Europe as a part of the British Indian Army in WWI (France and Belgium) and WWII (Italy and Greece). The author had come across a war memorial in Esperenza, in Argentina (see Book 'Sikhs in Latin America') which had the name of Arjan Singh, who evidently fought (in Europe) with the British in WWI from Argentina. There are graves and memorials of Sikh soldiers in Cypress, Malta, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and Romania. Annual thanksgiving and remembrance services are held all over Europe along with 'kirtan', 'ardaas', 'langar' and other Sikh religious ceremonies - these celebrations have now become a regular feature. The Dutch Sikhs are particularly enthusiastic participants at the annual event in Ypres in Belgium across from the Netherlands border. There is an interesting book: 'How Europe is Indebted to Sikhs' by Bhupinder Singh Holland which gives quite a few details. At one stage, Sikhs constituted almost 20% of the British Indian Army.