Over 2 lakh Indians gave up citizenship in 2024; 2.1 million since 2011

Over 2.1 lakh Indians relinquished citizenship in 2024, maintaining a 3-year streak above 2 lakh. Total reaches 2.1 million since 2011. MEA cites employment, education as key reasons. Government views diaspora as asset, but brain drain concerns persist amid rising emigration trends.

New Delhi: The number of people renouncing Indian citizenship has been on a steady rise over the past few years. According to government data, more than two lakh Indians relinquished their citizenship for the third consecutive year in 2024.

This number stood at 2.1 lakh, which is marginally lower than the figure of 2.2 lakh in 2023, but what is worrying is that in 2022 this number had reached 2.3 lakh. Thus, more than two lakh Indians have been renouncing their passports every year for the last three years, which shows a serious trend.

In comparison, the number of people renouncing citizenship was the lowest (85,256) recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which was 41% less than the figure of 1.44 lakh in 2019.

However, in 2021 this number again increased sharply to 1.63 lakh, a massive increase of 92% compared to 2020. From 2011 to 2019, about 1.2 to 1.4 lakh Indians gave up citizenship every year, but since 2021, this number has increased rapidly.

2.1 million Indians gave up citizenship in 14 years.

Between 2011 and 2024, a total of 20.9 lakh (about 21 lakh) Indians renounced their citizenship. This is a huge number, which shows the seriousness of the migration from India.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the main reason behind giving up citizenship is personal choice, with employment, education, and family reasons being prominent. Currently, about 3.54 crore NRIs are living abroad, including both NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin).

The government's stance and the role of NRIs

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the government understands the importance of Indian talent in the global economy and is working on strengthening ties with the NRIs.

He said that the NRIs are an asset to India and the government aims to fully utilize their potential. The statistics show that the trend of giving up Indian citizenship is on the rise, especially in the last three years. Although the government sees this as a normal process, this trend can also pose challenges for the country.

There is a need to increase opportunities within the country to stop people from migrating in search of better employment, education, and living standards. Stay tuned to Dynamite News for further updates.