2,664 foreigners from 43 countries, including Pak granted Indian citizenship

From January 2017 till August 2020, a total of 2,664 foreigners have been granted Indian citizenship from 43 foreign countries. Of the total citizenship granted, 77 percent have been given to Pakistani nationals.

This information was provided to Jammu based RTI activist Raman Sharma by the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), via office letter 26027/921/2020-IC_I, on Aug 6, 2020.

The reply by the MHA reveals that Pakistan tops the list with 2,063 Pakistani citizens acquiring Indian citizenship, followed by 188 Afghans and 97 Bangladeshi nationals who had applied for citizenship in the last four years.

In 2020, 328 Pakistanis, one Afghan National and three Bangladeshis got Indian Citizenship.

Data reveals that people from across the globe have shown interest in becoming Indian citizens, including some from well-resourced countries. Fifty-nine Americans, 19 British, 19 Malaysians, 14 Canadians, 13 Singaporean, 6 Germans, 4 Australians, 3 French, 3 Italians, 2 Chinese, 1 Israeli and 1 Russian nationals also were granted Indian nationality between January 2017 till 3rd August 2020.

The list of foreign nationals who got Indian nationality from 2017 onward also include 57 Sri Lankans, 32 Nepalese, 8 Iranians, 2 Zambians, 3 Portuguese, 2 South Africans and once each from Moldova, Jamaica, Eritrea, Chile, Poland, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic.

It is pertinent to mention that between the period year 2011 to 2016 , a total of 5,477 foreigners acquired Indian citizenship that includes 2,157 Pakistanis, 1,461 stateless, 918 Afghanis, 218 Bangladeshis, 108 Sri Lankans, 66 Iranians, 145 British and 61 Americans and 15 Chinese.

Between the period 2011 to 2020, so far 8,141 foreigners have been granted Indian citizenship..