A new generation of Nagas is looking beyond the English-speaking world — and finding opportunity in Germany’s classrooms, cities, and stability
Andres Molier
“How many Nagas live in Germany?” It’s a question I’m asked more often than I can count — usually followed by another: “I want to come to Germany, though I don’t know how.”
There’s no official record – no association to consult, no data to verify. Any figure, at best, is an educated guess. Mine? Around fifty. That’s roughly how many people of Naga origin I believe are currently living across Germany.
A few arrived decades ago and quietly built their lives here. But most – myself included – belong to a newer generation, many still navigating the delicate space between two cultures.
For years, the story of Nagas in Germany followed a familiar pattern. Almost everyone I knew came through marriage – mostly women who married German men and settled here. But that pattern is fading fast. The new arrivals are not spouses but students – young men and women pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, stepping into classrooms and laboratories that reflect a broader shift in how Nagas imagine life beyond home.
What’s remarkable isn’t just how few we are, how steadily that number has continued to climb.
In my October 11, 2025 column, I noted how more Nagas were beginning to look beyond convention, searching for something larger than a predictable career or familiar horizon.
For generations, Germany existed at the edges of our imagination – admired for its cars, its engineering, its discipline – yet never quite seen as a place to live, study, or belong. Our ambitions were tethered to the English-speaking world: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and, for many, Dubai – a name that still stands in for the idea of abroad.
Those who ventured out in earlier decades were mostly theologians. It’s a respected path, but the new wave tells a different story. Today, Naga students in Germany are more likely to be studying information technology, business management, or the social sciences — fields that speak to global ambition and practical opportunity. The workforce presence, however, remains small – almost negligible.
Still, the change is visible. More than half of the Nagas in Germany today are students, a quiet but decisive evolution. It suggests a community learning not just how to live abroad, but how to belong, adapt, and contribute on its own terms.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about us Nagas, it’s that we move best in herds. Once a few succeed, others follow – and there’s no shame in that. Imitation, after all, has long been one of the quiet engines of progress, both personal and collective.
To understand what draws young Nagas to Germany, I spoke with a few who embody this shift – people whose choices reflect both courage and calculation.
L.K., who lives in Berlin and arrived in May 2025, told me, “I chose Germany for its academic standards, its multicultural environment, and the freedom to balance study with work. It felt like a place where effort is valued more than background.” Before moving, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and counselling, but the global MBA program in Germany offered something broader, a more international lens through which to understand people and business.
H.H., another student, came the previous September to pursue a master’s in public policy. Both had weighed other destinations, Singapore, France, and the United Kingdom among them, before choosing Germany. “Germany appealed to me for its strong academic reputation and its rich cultural heritage,” H.H. said. “One of the universities I’d long hoped to study at was here, so the decision felt natural.”
When asked what one must prepare for before arriving, both paused on the same two words: adaptability and language. “The first step is to prepare yourself mentally for a completely different environment – once you do that, everything else falls into place,” L.K. reflected. H.H. added, “Learning the language early makes a world of difference. Even a basic grasp of German changes how you experience daily life.”
T.J., who is pursuing a master’s in industrial engineering and international management, offered a more pragmatic view. “I did consider other countries like Canada and Australia – they also offer strong prospects in engineering,” he said. “But Germany was my first choice because of its close ties between academia and industry, and the advantage of a Schengen visa, which opens access to 29 European countries.”
He paused, then added what many come to realize: “Learning German isn’t optional. It’s essential. It not only makes everyday life smoother but opens doors to far more meaningful career opportunities.”
These voices – measured, ambitious, and unafraid – reflect a generational shift. Earlier migrations often followed circumstance; this one is guided by conviction. The new Naga presence in Germany is not about escape or chance. It’s about choice.
Their stories converge on a single theme – ambition anchored in purpose. Each hopes to gain experience and eventually return to Nagaland, carrying new skills and perspectives home. It’s an admirable goal, but Germany has a way of testing such resolve.
The country offers a stability that’s hard to walk away from. Its pension system, labor laws, healthcare, and unemployment benefits aren’t abstract entitlements, they’re lived realities. In fact, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia don’t come close to matching Germany’s social model. Once the trio experiences that stability firsthand, their plans may evolve. Time, as it often does, will decide.
For those still aspiring to come, the journey begins long before arrival – with language, preparation, and intent. The India Germany Education and Work Exchange (IGEWE) stands among the first structured initiatives to provide online German instruction for Nagas while facilitating their move to Germany for education and employment.
It is also one of the rare institutions in India where only native speakers teach, following the telc framework – widely regarded as more rigorous and practical than Goethe’s – to ensure learners meet real-world linguistic standards.
E.J., an aspiring student currently pursuing a BBA and preparing for an MBA in Germany, put it plainly: “I’ve done my research and realized that language can make or break the experience. I’m learning German online, and my goal is to reach the B1 level within the next year. I aspire to work for a mid-sized German company.”
Another learner, H.Z., expressed his motivation more directly: “I went back and forth between choosing the United States and Germany. Finally, I decided to learn German through IGEWE because I want to settle in Germany. From everything I’ve read, it feels like one of the safest and most stable countries in the world.”
Their voices – steady, curious, and quietly determined – echo the optimism that once carried earlier generations of Nagas to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The difference now lies in intent. These new aspirants aren’t chasing escape or prestige; they’re pursuing structure, opportunity, and skill. And in Germany, they’ve found a society that rewards precisely those values.
Encouraged by friends, family, and the quiet confidence born of online success stories, a small circle of Naga students is finding its footing across Germany — from Berlin and Munich to Frankfurt and Bremen. What once felt improbable has become a real path.
This number will grow — and I hope it does.
Because the question is no longer whether Nagas can build a life abroad; they already are. The real question is: what about you? In a state where government jobs remain scarce and private investment struggles to take root, what future are you preparing for? Will you wait for opportunity to arrive, or go and find it — through study, Ausbildung, vocational training, or work?
Every journey begins with a single instinct: curiosity. The courage to ask not “why me?” — but “why not me?”
Note: The students quoted in this column are real but chose to remain anonymous. For those interested in learning more about IGEWE, visit www.igewe.com or follow @IGEWE_Center on Instagram and Facebook.
(Andres is a Naga-born German entrepreneur based in Hamburg.)
