Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai has said that a total of 18,855 people have received Indian citizenship in the past five years. Of this figure, Bangladeshis are the largest group to receive citizenship.
The minister’s statement came in response to Member of Parliament (MP) Badruddin Ajmal’s question about the citizenship granted by the government of India to people from different countries every year.
India does not allow holding citizenship in India and a foreign country simultaneously.
“Altogether 18,855 people of 56 nationalities were granted Indian citizenship in the last five years,” Rai informed the Lok Sabha.
A total of 15,012 Bangaldeshi, 2,668 Pakistani, 109 Sri Lankan, 665 Afghan and 105 American citizens were given Indian nationality from the years 2015 to 2019. Other groups include 40 individuals from Nepali, 40 from the United Kingdom, 23 from Kenya, 21 from Malaysia, 18 Canadians, and 18 Singapore citizens during the same period.
“Records of persons granted Indian citizenship under section 5 (by registration) or section 6 (by naturalisation) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 are maintained as per the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 are maintained as per the provisions of the said Act and rules made thereunder. These records are not maintained religion-wise,” Rai said in a written reply to the question in Lok Sabha.
Most recently, an amendment to the citizenship act in 2019 had caused large-scale protests in the country and Section 144 (unlawful assembly) had been implemented in many parts of India.
ANI
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