Bill introduced to allow dual citizenship for Indians

  An Indian parliamentarian presented to Parliament a bill authorizing dual citizenship for foreign nationals of Indian origin. Under current laws, Indians must give up their Indian citizenship when they acquire citizenship of another country.   A bill submitted to the Indian Parliament aims to authorize dual citizenship for millions of foreign nationals of Indian origin who currently have to give up Indian citizenship once they have become citizens of another country.   Shashi Tharoor, Congressman of Thiruvananthapuram, introduced a bill last week to amend Article 9 of the Indian Constitution, which provides for the automatic abolition of Indian citizenship when it acquires the citizenship of another country .   "We have the largest diaspora in the world, many of whom have emigrated abroad for better opportunities. Taking a foreign passport for convenience does not make them less Indian, "said Tharoor.   According to the UN's 2018 Global Migration Report, more than 15.6 million Indians live in other countries, making it the largest diaspora in the world, followed by Mexicans and Russians.   A large part of the global Indian diaspora has asked India to allow dual citizenship. The Indian government, in response to some of the demands of Indians living abroad, has introduced the Indian Overseas Citizen Card (OIC). The CLB has been further streamlined and widely promoted under the BJP government.   Although the OIC allows foreign nationals of Indian origin to live and work indefinitely in India, they can not vote or contest an election and are not allowed to own agricultural land in India.   Tharoor says that people of Indian descent, many of whom are highly skilled entrepreneurs in the technology sector, and many of whom have also held high public office abroad, have a significant interest in India. .   "In the era of globalization, more and more India will look for opportunities abroad."   "By automatically ending their Indian citizenship when they apply for citizenship of a country of residence, the law removes their roots and gives them the feeling that they have no real interest in their country of origin," he told lawmakers.   Mohamed Zeeshan, a Dubai-based policy consultant and writer, says that while many Indians acquire citizenship in their home countries, they remain firmly attached to their home country and spread India's global influence in the country. whole world.   "The landmark nuclear agreement between India and the United States, for example, was facilitated in Washington by the powerful political lobbying of the Indo-American community. In 2011, Australian Indians helped convince the Australian government to lift the ban on uranium exports to India, "he writes.   The United Arab Emirates, the United States and Saudi Arabia are the top three countries of residence of people of Indian origin outside India, home to about 7.5 million Indians.   According to the 2016 census, the Indian diaspora in Australia was 619,164 people. In the past five years, from 2013 to 2017, more than 118,000 Indian nationals have acquired Australian citizenship.   Since then, migration from India to Australia has increased.   Ritesh Chugh, a lecturer at Central Queensland University in Melbourne, said the initiative would "open doors" to many opportunities for Indians and India.   "Indians living abroad already contribute enormously to India and its experience is such that India can take advantage of it. But many who see it (the fact of not having Indian nationality) are a major obstacle to achieving this contribution as much as possible, "he told SBS Punjabi.   "For example, for the moment, research paths are limited to citizens. If this disincentive is removed, many people would like to return to work in India as opportunities grow in India, "said Mr. Chugh.   According to the Indian Passport Act, it is prohibited to surrender the Indian passport and formally renounce Indian citizenship after the acquisition of foreign citizenship, which may result in penalties of up to $ 1,050.