While the provisions for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have yet to be finalized, official data reveals that minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh have made up the vast majority of people awarded Indian citizenship since 2018.
Furthermore, between 2018 and 2020, a total of 2,254 foreigners from all around the globe were awarded Indian citizenship. The data for 2021 was not accessible in its entirety.
“Number of citizenship applications received from Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan during the year 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 8,244. Number of Indian citizenship granted to people belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Christian minorities groups from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan during the year 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is 3117,”
In a written response to a query, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai addressed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
There is no refugee policy in India. The CAA was signed into law by Parliament on December 12, 2019, but its regulations have yet to be drafted.
The legislation, which seeks to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who are Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, or Buddhist, was passed by Parliament despite fierce opposition from the Opposition, which claimed the law had a "communal agenda" because it conspicuously excluded Muslims.
“All foreign nationals including refuge seekers are governed by the provisions contained in The Foreigners Act, 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and The Citizenship Act, 1955,” In his response, Rai said.
In response to a query on the overall number of foreigners awarded Indian citizenship, Rai told the House that 4,177 individuals were granted citizenship between 2016 and 2020. In 2018, 628 claims were accepted, followed by 987 in 2019 and 639 in 2020.
Since the CAA was enacted in 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah has said in media appearances that around 600 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan had been awarded Indian citizenship.