13th August 2023, Mumbai: Considering the potential political implications of the figures, the government, while addressing the matter in Parliament, presented the UPA-era exodus statistics “for reference”.
8.40 lakh Indians have chosen to relinquish their citizenship
In the past five and a half years, spanning from January 2018 to June 2023, nearly 8.40 lakh Indians have chosen to relinquish their citizenship and obtain nationalities from various foreign nations. During the first half of this current year, the tally reached 87,026.
In 2022, the number of individuals renouncing their Indian citizenship reached 2,25,620, marking the highest figure in the past 12 years.
“The number of Indian nationals exploring the global workplace has been significant in the last two decades,” external affairs minister S Jaishankar had said in a written reply Lok Sabha last month.
Considering the potential political implications of these figures, the government, while addressing the matter in Parliament, has also been presenting the UPA-era exodus statistics “for reference purposes”.
However, do we know about the destinations chosen by those who have decided to forego their Indian citizenship?
The Ministry of External Affairs provided the data
The Ministry of External Affairs provided the data recently in response to a query by Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak, which sheds light on this matter.
The United States, renowned for its abundant employment opportunities, naturally emerged as the primary preference, followed by Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
3.29 lakh Indians obtained US nationality
Among these, a notable 3.29 lakh Indians obtained US nationality, while neighbouring Canada granted citizenship to 1.62 lakh individuals. Australia secured the third position, welcoming 1.32 lakh new citizens, followed by the United Kingdom and Italy, which extended citizenship to 83,468 and 23,817 Indians, respectively.
Collectively, these five nations emerged as the subsequent homeland for more than 85% of those who relinquished their Indian citizenship over the mentioned five and a half years’ period.
Further down the list, New Zealand (23,088), Germany (13,363), Singapore (13,211), Netherlands (8,642), and Sweden (8,531) constituted significant destinations, in that order, ranking from 6th to 10th. In total, more than 95% of Indians opted for citizenship in these top 10 countries.
Geographically, out of these 10 countries, five are situated in Europe, two each in North America and Oceania, and one in Asia.
Among the Muslim-majority Gulf nations, the UAE emerged as the top choice, with 1,865 Indians acquiring its citizenship. Following the UAE were Qatar (384), Kuwait (295), Bahrain (275), and Oman (174). Notably, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which recently underwent significant changes in its citizenship regulations, granted passports to 131 Indians during the stated time period (Jan 18’- June 23’).
A total of 2,442 Indians opted for Chinese citizenship, a country that stands as India’s significant and powerful neighbour, with whom the relationship has been characterized by tension.
By ASC Priya