'7,306 Pakistan nationals seek citizenship'; CAA rules yet to be notified

Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai told Parliament on Wednesday that 7,306 Pakistani nationals had applied for Indian citizenship till December 14.

Pakistani nationals accounted for nearly 70% of the 10,635 applications for Indian citizenship received till the specified date, according to data provided by the Union home ministry.

Rai said applications for Indian citizenship are pending from other countries, including 1,152 from Afghanistan, 223 from the US and Sri Lanka, 189 from Nepal, 161 from Bangladesh and 428 stateless. Ten applications are pending from China as well, the minister told Parliament.


In reply to another question, Rai said a total of 3,117 members of minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship in the past four years. Member of Parliament K Keshava Rao had asked how many citizenship applications were received from Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and how many of them were granted Indian citizenship. Rai said the government had received 8,244 applications from members of these minority communities and that it had granted Indian citizenship to 3,117 applicants during the period.

The government brought the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 to expedite the grant of citizenship to six minorities from the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, the Centre has yet to notify the rules related to this law.