2.25L Indians gave up citizenship in 2022, highest in 12 years: Centre

As many as 16 lakh Indians have given up their citizenship since 2011 including 2,25,620 last year, the highest during the period, while the lowest of 85,256 was in 2020, the government has said.

Giving details of the year-wise number of Indians who renounced their citizenship in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the number of Indians who renounced their Indian citizenship in 2015 was 1,31,489, while 1,41,603 people gave it up in 2016 and 1,33,049 in 2017. In 2018, the number was 1,34,561, while 1,44,017 renounced their citizenship in 2019, 85,256 in 2020 and 1,63,370 in 2021. The number in 2022 was 2,25,620.

Also read: Over 9 lakh Indians relinquished citizenship since 2014: Govt data

For reference purposes, Jaishankar said the data for 2011 was 1,22,819, while it was 1,20,923 in 2012, 1,31,405 in 2013 and 1,29,328 in 2014. The total number of Indians who gave up their Indian citizenship since 2011 comes to 16,63,440.

Answering a question, Jaishankar said five Indian nationals obtained the citizenship of the United Arab Emirates during the last three years.

He also provided a list of 135 countries whose citizenship Indians acquired.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan while answering another question said the government is aware of the predicament faced by professionals due to the layoffs in US companies in the recent months and added that a certain percentage of this population is Indian having H-1B and L1 visas.

“The government of India has consistently raised issues relating to the movement of high skilled workers, including IT professionals, with the US government,” he said. “It has also been working with various stakeholders, including industry organisations and business chambers on these issues,” Muraleedharan said.

He said the government has initiated an engaging dialogue with the Indian diaspora across the world, leading to a “transformational change.”

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“A successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora is an asset for India. India stands to gain a lot from tapping its diaspora networks and productive utilisation of the soft power that comes from having such a flourishing diaspora,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)