Indian students often come to Germany with high hopes of moving up the career ladder. Instead, many end up indebted by high university fees and expensive housing, forcing them into exploitative work as delivery riders.
Young South Asian students are increasingly drawn to Germany by aggressive marketing promises of affordable education and high‑paying tech jobs, only to find themselves trapped in debt, exploitation, and the precarious food‑delivery sector. Many arrive with loans, high living costs, and limited access to legal employment, pushing them toward subcontractors who use WhatsApp, cash payments, and legal loopholes to avoid tax and labor regulations.
The resulting system leaves riders vulnerable — facing long hours, threats, unsafe conditions, and little protection from authorities —while middlemen and subcontractors profit. Although reforms such as the EU Platform Work Directive and Spain’s "rider law" aim to improve worker rights, the gap between promise and reality continues to grow for many young migrants seeking stable futures in Germany.
This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.
Author: Kate Ferguson
First published: February 9, 2026
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Source: dw.com