5477 Foreigners Acquired Indian Citizenship during Last 6 Years

During Year 2011 to 2016

2157 Pakistanis, 918 Afghans Include 5477 Foreigners who Acquired Indian Citizenship

‘Intolerance’ Propaganda Deflated

In last 3 Years Over 3800 Foreigners Acquired Indian Citizenship

Jammu, 30/March/2017: Contradicting the propaganda of growing  ‘Intolerance in India’, the official data released by the ministry of Home Affairs in reply to an RTI applicant reveals that during the last three years, the number of foreigners acquiring Indian Citizenship have increased more than double as compared to the same period of three years of the previous government.

Between the period 01/Jan/2014 to 31/Dec/2016, the total number of foreigners acquired Indian Citizenship is 3801, whereas during the last three years of the previous government i.e. between the period 01/Jan/2011 to 31/Dec/2013, the total number of foreigners national acquired  Indian citizenship was 1676. The total number of foreigners who preferred Indian citizenship during the last six years is 5477.

The list of foreigner nationals who are granted Indian citizenship is being provided by the ministry of Home Affairs to RTI activist Raman Sharma of Jammu in response to his online RTI plea dated 23/01/2017 includes names of 56 countries and also stateless people.

Pakistanis tops the list of foreign nationals acquiring Indian Citizenship, out of 5477 foreigners who acquired citizenship, there were 2157 Pakistani nationals followed by 1461 Stateless people, 918 Afghanis, 218 Bangladeshis, 145 from United Kingdom, 108 from Sri Lanka, 66 from Iran and 51 from United State of America. There are also 35 people from UAE, 33 from Nepal, 26 from Kenya, 15 each from Singapore and China. In the same period of 6 years ,13 people each from Canada and France also acquired Indian Citizenship. 

Year wise data of total 2157 Pakistani citizens who were granted Indian nationality unveils that during year 2016, maximum number of  660 Pakis were granted citizenship rights whereas in 2015 and 2014 , 263 and 267 Pakis were granted Citizenship rights respectively. Similarly out of 918 Afghan Nationals, who were granted Indian citizenship at least 700 of them got Indian nationality between the period 2014 to 2016.

During the last 3 years, the number of immigrants from developed nations have also increased, from United States out of total 61 immigrants, 46 applied and granted citizenship rights only between the period 2014 to 2016. Seven French nationals, 8 people each from Germany and Italy also got citizenship rights.

From Spain, South Africa, Switherland and Sudan four immigrants from each nation also preferred Indian nationality during the last 6 years. Three Nationals from  each country including Zimbawe, Uganda, Phillipines and Fiji also became Indian between the period 2011 to 2016.

Published in Kashmir Times, DNA, Early Times, The Tribune, State Times and others on 31/Mar/2017

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/2-157-pakistani-nationals-got-indian-citizenship-in-6-years/384794.html

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-pakistanis-top-list-of-people-acquiring-indian-citizenship-2375977