Over 1.6 Lakh Indians Gave Up Citizenship In 2021, 78,000 Settled In US: Govt In Lok Sabha

In the year 2020, 85,256 people and in the year 2019 144,017 people left Indian citizenship and settled in other countries.

A police officer checks an Indian passport (Source: File photo/Getty)

New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Tuesday has told in Parliament that in the year 2021, 1,63,370 people relinquished Indian citizenship and settled abroad. Whereas in the year 2020, 85,256 people and in the year 2019 144,017 people left Indian citizenship and settled in other countries. This shows that twice as many people gave up Indian citizenship in 2021 as compared to 2020. 

According to the information given by the Minister, America is becoming the first choice of those who give up Indian citizenship. "The number of Indians who relinquished Indian citizenship in 2019, 2020, 2021 are 1,44,017; 85,256; and 1,63,370 respectively."

This information was shared by Nityanand Rai as a reply to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Haji Fazlur Rehman in Lok Sabha. 

Rahman had sought details on the number of Indian nationals who gave up their citizenship by early 2019, the reasons cited for the move and the countries where they were granted citizenship. 

The United States (US) remains the preferred choice for settlers, with government data showing that the number of Indians seeking citizenship in the country has increased from 30,828 in 2020 to 78,284 in 2021.

In the year 2021, 23,533 Indians took Australian citizenship, while 21,597 people took Canadian citizenship. At the same time, 14,637 Indians took British citizenship. In the year 2019, 536 people have taken citizenship of China. At the same time, in the year 2020, 556 people left Indian citizenship and took Chinese citizenship.