Shruti Verma at home with her son Varush.
– When I was in the delivery room all the nurses were telling me that I didn't need to worry about my job because I'd be on maternity leave. “Nobody will touch you, nobody will harm you”, they said. Because they were Swedish they were so confident about their system. But they were wrong, says Shruti Verma tearfully.
Just one month after giving birth to her son Varush in September last year, Shruti received a termination letter from Northvolt.
The 32-year-old Indian newcomer’s journey to this devastating moment began in 2021, when she and her husband Varun, 35, moved to Uppsala for her second master's degree (in entrepreneurship - her first was in social work).
After working restaurant and cleaning jobs in Uppsala, Shruti landed a job as a process operator at Northvolt last April, initially living alone at the Away workers' camp in Ursviken while pregnant — the only housing available. Though Varun joined her in August when they found accommodation in Skellefteå, what should have been a joyful time quickly turned into a nightmare.
As the main visa holder, Shruti's family's right to remain in Sweden depended on her employment. Instead of enjoying maternity leave with her newborn, she found herself desperately searching for a new job with her visa set to expire in June. Her health suffered.
Shruti Verma at home.
– I was not feeling well. I was going to the bathroom, pumping milk, and crying. I went to job fairs and talked to people. If recruiters called me my son would be crying in the background. My heart cried because I had to prioritise finding a job, but I didn't want to ignore my child, says Shruti.
For the past three months, Shruti’s weekly job-hunting routine starts on a Saturday when she makes a list of companies to which to send CVs and cover letters.
– Monday starts with new hope. I think to myself, maybe this week I’ll get an interview. Then Friday hits hard because it usually ends with rejections. I’m responsible for my family right now. If we have to leave the country, it's all on my shoulders, says Shruti.
Shruti’s CV is impressive. As well as two master's degrees, she has extensive experience in managerial roles, optimising processes, and supervising production. Beyond that, she finds cooking therapeutic and has worked in the food industry, even setting up a food business as a certified baker.
Shruti Verma at home with her son Varush.
To complement these skills and improve her chances of getting a job, she’s recently taken courses to drive a forklift and overhead crane. She’s also currently studying SFI and learning to drive. And let’s not forget, she’s being a mother to a six-month-old baby.
As if Shruti’s life wasn’t stressful enough, she faced another setback recently. Her parents wanted to visit her, but their visa applications were rejected twice because she was no longer officially employed by Northvolt. She also can't take Varush to India because she is still waiting for his Swedish residence card.
– I can't tell you how much my parents cried. Every day they call me and ask, did you get an interview? Are you going to come back to India? It's not that I don't love my home country, but it's not safe anymore for females, she says.
– Sweden is very safe. When I was living in the south and travelling home alone after working nights at McDonald’s, my husband was not worried. I was not afraid of anything. We have freedom and safety here, says Shruti.
It's hard to predict what the future holds for Shruti’s family as her visa expires in June. I tell Shruti that her situation seems almost impossible.
– I'm not losing hope, she replies.
– I am NOT giving up.
Shruti Verma at home with her son Varush.