‘It’s my second home now’: Luxembourg’s growing Indian community

The sun shone for much of the afternoon of the tenth edition of India Day, celebrated in Place Guillaume II on Sunday

The 6,000-strong Indian community and other visitors enjoyed an array of food stands offering cuisine from Sikkim, Mumbai, Hyderabad and southern India, and were treated to numerous dance and music performances.

Most Indian people interviewed said they moved to Luxembourg for work, many from other parts of Europe. Some had arrived just six months ago, whilst others have called Luxembourg home since the 1990s.

Those who had been living in Luxembourg for more than ten years said the Indian community had grown exponentially, creating more opportunities to celebrate Indian culture and taste different cuisines from the region.

Luxembourg is considered one of the most welcoming countries, with Indian expats highlighting its natural and architectural beauty, cleanliness, easy and well-connected transport, and the friendliness of the local population as big factors in their decision to move and to stay.

Languages were the biggest challenge cited by the Indian community, coupled with a great appreciation that English is now widely spoken in the capital, and a commitment from many who are studying French and Luxembourgish.