Every year lakhs of people are renouncing their citizenship from India. The Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament that more than 9 lakh Indians have renounced Indian citizenship in the last five years. This number has reached above 2 lakh every year since 2022. A total of 2.06 million (20.6 lakh) Indians gave up citizenship from 2011 to 2024, with more than half in the last five years. Especially during and after the Covid pandemic, Indian people have left India.
Covid restrictions were imposed, then people came out as soon as they got the chance
Earlier for about 10 years, every year 1.2 lakh to 1.45 lakh people used to give up their citizenship. At the time of Covid in 2020, this number had dropped to around 85,000, because travel was restricted. But post-Covid, there was an increase again and from 2022, more than 2 lakh people said goodbye to India every year.
Why are people of India giving up citizenship?
The Ministry of External Affairs says that the reasons are personal and are known only to the individual. Most people take foreign citizenship for ‘personal convenience’. The ministry said that India recognizes the possibilities of the global workplace in the era of knowledge-based economy.
A big reason is that there is no facility of dual citizenship in India. Under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act 1955, if an Indian takes foreign citizenship, the Indian citizenship automatically ceases. Voting rights in foreign countries, social security, free living, government jobs and long-term stability are available only through citizenship. India’s Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card grants visa-free travel and some economic rights, but does not grant political rights such as voting or contesting elections.
Better job opportunities abroad
People say on social media that one has to give up citizenship for better opportunities abroad, but it seems difficult to give up Indian identity. This trend now shows more rich and successful people going abroad.
In author Sanjay Baru’s book ‘Cessation of the Successful: The Flight Out of New India’, it has been called the fourth wave of migration. In this, children of the rich, High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) and influential people are going abroad. According to Morgan Stanley data, around 23,000 Indian millionaires have left the country since 2014. The earlier waves were different, i.e. laborers during the British period and professionals like doctors-engineers since 1970.
Where are people mostly going?
Indian citizens are mostly leaving their identity and going to America, Britain, Canada and Australia. Passports of these countries are more attractive and opportunities are available more. There is a problem of brain drain in India since 1970, which has further intensified in the 2020s. The government says that people do this for personal reasons.
