Over 87,000 Indians gave up citizenship till June this year: EAM S Jaishankar

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• Jul 22, 2023 | Dhupali Das

As many as 87,026 Indians had renounced their citizenship till June this year, with over...

Digital Desk: As many as 87,026 Indians had renounced their citizenship till June this year, with over 17.50 lakh people giving up their citizenship since 2011.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday that 2,25,620 Indians renounce their citizenship in 2022, 1,63,370 in 2021, 85,256 in 2020, 1,44,017 in 2019, 1,34,561 in 2018, 1,33,049 in 2017, 1,41,603 in 2016, 1,31,489 in 2015, 1,29,328 in 2014, 1,31,405 in 2013, 1,20,923 in 2012, and 1,22,819 in 2011.

"In the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of Indian nationals exploring the global workplace. Many of them have chosen to get foreign citizenship for personal reasons," the minister said.

Recognizing that the Indian population abroad is an asset to the country, the government has implemented a revolutionary change in its engagement with the diaspora,  Jaishankar said.

"A successful, prosperous, and influential diaspora is an advantage for India, and our approach is to tap diaspora networks and leverage its reputation for national gain," he said.

Where are they headed?

According to numbers from the Ministry of External Affairs, Indians continue to pursue the American dream, with 7,88,284 relinquishing their citizenship in 2021.

Australia came in second after the United States, with 23,533 people giving up their Indian citizenship, followed by Canada (21,597) and the United Kingdom (14,637).

A significant number of Indians decided to become citizens of Italy (5,986), New Zealand (2,643), Singapore (2,516), Germany (2,381), the Netherlands (2,187), Sweden (1,841), and Spain (1,595).

According to a United Nations report, all but three of the top 20 destinations for international migrants in 2020 were high-income or upper-middle-income countries. The United States has the highest cohort of Indians, with over four million people, followed by Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates (3.5 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million).