While the provisions for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have yet to be finalized, official data reveals that minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh have made up the vast majority of people awarded Indian citizenship since 2018.
During the time, 8,244 persons from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Christian religions from the three neighboring nations petitioned for Indian citizenship, according to official statistics presented in Parliament. Citizenship was given to 3,117 persons out of them through December of this year.
Furthermore, between 2018 and 2020, a total of 2,254 foreigners from all around the globe were awarded Indian citizenship. The data for 2021 was not accessible in its entirety.
“Number of citizenship applications received from Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan during the year 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 8,244. Number of Indian citizenship granted to people belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan during the year 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 3117,”
In a written response to a query, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai addressed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
There is no refugee policy in India. The CAA was signed into law by Parliament on December 12, 2019, but its regulations have yet to be drafted.
The legislation, which seeks to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who are Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, or Buddhist, was passed by Parliament despite fierce opposition from the Opposition, which claimed the law had a "communal agenda" because it conspicuously excluded Muslims.
“All foreign nationals including refuge seekers are governed by the provisions contained in The Foreigners Act, 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and The Citizenship Act, 1955,” In his response, Rai said.
