During the second day of the Monsoon session in the Indian Parliament, Dr. S Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, shed light on some noteworthy information with the lower house Lok Sabha. According to a few reports that have appeared in different media portals, he revealed that up until June this year, a total of 87,026 Indians have voluntarily relinquished their citizenship that belonged to India, and acquired citizenships abroad.
Providing further details in the matter, the foreign minister stated that since 2011, more than 17.5 lakh people have renounced their Indian citizenship. He presented a breakdown of the numbers for each year since 2011. For instance, in 2022, 2,25,620 Indians gave up their citizenship, while in 2021, the figure was 1,63,370. The numbers gradually decreased over the years, with 85,256 in 2020, 1,44,017 in 2019, and so on.
Explaining the reasons behind this alarming trend, Dr. Jaishankar pointed out that many Indian nationals who were initially living in India have sought foreign citizenship for personal convenience, especially as the opportunities to work and live globally have expanded over the past two decades, as India keeps strengthening its ties with different countries of the world, in addition to facilitating the diaspora communities find convenience in moving abroad for various purposes.
In addition to that information, the Minister of External Affairs praised a host of efforts taken by the Indian government to engage with the Indian diaspora residing abroad in different capacities. The government of India, according to him, has implemented transformative changes to connect with and support the diaspora community.
Adding more to that, Dr. Jaishankar expressed his appreciation for the overseas Indian community, highlighting its significance as an asset to the nation and making a mark worldwide. He emphasized that a prosperous and influential diaspora can greatly benefit India, and the government has planned to leverage diaspora networks for national gain.