More than 8 Lakh Indians gave up their citizenship in the last 7 years

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• Dec 14, 2021 | moderator

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that more than 8.81 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship since 2015. This information came as a response to the query raised by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy in the Lok Sabha.

As per the data tabled in the Parliament, 1,31,489 Indians renounced their citizenship in 2015. Including, in 2016 the number was 1,41,603. In 2018, the number stood at 1,34,561. In 2019, the number increased to 1,44,017. Notably, in 2020 it came down to 85,242. 

However, it was informed in the Parliament that in 2021 the number of citizens renouncing their citizenship once again rose to 1,11,287. 

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"8,81,254 Indians renounced their citizenship in the last seven years till Sept 30, 2021, as per information available with MEA (Ministry of External Affairs)," the Home Ministry stated in answer to the query.

The highest number of individuals who gave up on their citizenship was in 2019, followed by the total number in 2021.

MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy also sought to know whether renouncing citizenship has been streamlined. On this query, MoS Home Nityananda Rai stated that an online portal was activated in August this year to simplify the process.

What might be the primary reason individuals renounce citizenship and move out of the country? One possible reason might be the spread of coronavirus. However, the pandemic has hit worldwide and not just India. Rai also mentioned that more than 100 lakh Indians are presently living overseas.