Over 87,000 Indians Have Renounced Their Citizenship Till June This Year: EAM Jaishankar

Up to June of this year, 87,026 Indians gave up their citizenship, with over 17.50 lakh persons giving up their Indian citizenship since 2011.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Lok Sabha on Friday that 2,25,620 Indians renounced 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.

“The number of Indian nationals exploring the global workplace has been significant in the last two decades. Many of them have taken up foreign citizenship for personal convenience,” the minister said.

Recognising that the Indian population abroad is an asset to the nation, the government has implemented a revolutionary change in its engagement with the diaspora, according to Jaishankar.

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

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

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

Many Indians have chosen 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 UN 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 population 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).