The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that 1,63,370 persons gave up their Indian citizenship in 2021.
The figure is higher as compared to 2020 when 85,256 persons had renounced their Indian citizenship, according to the ministry’s data. In 2019, the figure stood at 1,44,017.
The data was provided by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in response to a question raised by Haji Fazlur Rehman, a Bahujan Samaj Party MP.
Rehman had sought details about the number of persons who have renounced Indian citizenship between 2019 and 2021, the reasons cited for the decision and the countries they have gone to.
“Individuals renounced Indian citizenship for reasons personal to them,” Rai said in response.
The United States was preferred by persons, who renounced their Indian citizenship. In 2021 alone, 78,284 persons acquired the US citizenship. The number has increased from 30,828 in 2020 and 61,683 in 2019.
Australia ranks second, with 23,533 persons taking the country’s citizenship in 2021. In 2020, the figure stood at 13,518 and at 21,340 in 2019.
Canada stood third, with 21,597 persons acquiring the country’s citizenship in 2021. In 2020 and 2019, the figures were 17,093 and 25,381, respectively.
In November, the Union home minister told the Lok Sabha that 6,08,162 persons have given up Indian citizenship between 2017 and September 2021.
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