NEW DELHI: More than 18 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship in the last 13 years, opting for nationality of 135 countries, according to government data presented in the Rajya Sabha.
The countries that opted for citizenship include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Myanmar, Thailand, Namibia, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which significantly lag behind India in terms of development and global influence.
Other countries that emerged as popular choices included the US, Canada, Russia, China, Egypt, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK, Turkey, the UAE and Vietnam.
According to the data presented by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), a record 2,25,620 Indians gave up their citizenship in 2022, followed closely by 2,16,219 in 2023. From 2015 to 2023, more than 12 lakh people decided to give up their Indian nationality and acquire citizenships of other nations.
In its reply to the Upper House, the MEA has attributed this trend to personal reasons. “The reason for renouncing or taking citizenship are personal. The government recognises the potential of the global workplace in an era of knowledge economy. It has also brought about a transformational change in its engagement with Indian diaspora,” MEA said.
Some experts have linked the trend to factors such as better career opportunities, improved quality of life, enhanced educational prospects, and access to global mobility. “The lure of developed countries with robust social security systems and provision of dual citizenship, which India currently does not permit, may have also played a role,” said Archana Kumari, a foreign employment analyst.
Prior to 2022, as many as 1,63,370 Indians had opted for the citizenship of other countries. Only in the 2020, which witnessed worldwide Covid pandemic, the lowest number of 85,256 Indians opted for the citizenship of other countries.
The number of Indians exploring the global workplace has been significant in the last two decades. The MEA reported that around 13 million Indian nationals, including labourers, professionals, and experts, are currently living abroad, according to information shared with the parliament.
Currently, dual citizenship is not permitted as per the provisions of Article 9 of the Constitution of India, and Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
The Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme was introduced by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005. The scheme provides for registration as OCI, of all the Persons of Indian Origin who were citizens of India on January 26, 1950 or thereafter. The registered OCIs will not be entitled to the rights conferred on a citizen of India under Article 16 of the Constitution.