Over 1.83 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship between January and October, up by almost 20,000 from 1.63 lakh (approximately) in 2021, according to the Centre’s reply in Lok Sabha on December 9.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs M Muraleedharan gave the figures in response to a question by Congress MP Abdul Khaleque.

According to the reply, 1.29 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2014. This number stood at 1.31 lakh in 2015 and 1.33 lakh in 2016. The number increased to 1.34 lakh in 2018 and 1.44 lakh in 2019. It dwindled to 85,256 in 2020.

This means that since 2014, over 12.43 lakh Indians have given up their citizenship.

Indians are not allowed to hold dual citizenship as per law. According to the Passport Act, if Indians acquire citizenship in a foreign country, they have to surrender their Indian passports to the consular offices.

Last year, more than half of the 1.63 lakh Indians gave up their citizenship in favour of the one offered by the United States. According to the Centre’s reply in July this year, 78,284 persons acquired US citizenship in 2021, followed by 23,533 preferring Australia and 21,597 choosing Canada.

On December 8, Muraleedharan also said that 60 foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan took Indian citizenship this year.

The figure stood at 93 in 2015, 153 in 2016, 175 in 2017, 129 in 2018, 113 in 2019, 27 in 2020 and 42 in 2021.