1.66 million people renounced their Indian nationality since 2011 says the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

A total of 225,620 Indians renounced their citizenship in 2022, the highest in the last 12 years, and 1.66 million people renounced their nationality since 2011, according to data provided by the government in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The data was provided by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a written reply to a question by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Narain Dass Gupta, which sought the number of Indians who renounced their citizenship and the countries they accepted.
Jaishankar’s reply provided annual data on Indians renouncing their citizenship since 2011. Between 2011 and 2019, the annual figure ranged between 120,000 and 144,000 before falling to 85,256 in 2020 (due to the Covid pandemic) .
In 2021, this number almost doubled to 163,370, before rising again to 225,620 in 2022, the minister said in his written reply.
Citing information available with the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar said 122,819 Indians renounced their citizenship in 2011, 120,923 in 2012, 131,405 in 2013, 129,328 in 2014, 131,489 in 2018, 85,256 in 2020, 163,370 in 2021 and 225,620 in 2022.
The written reply contained a list of 135 countries whose citizenships had been acquired by Indians. The list did not give specific numbers for each country or specify the period during which these nations granted citizenship to Indians.
Responding to a specific question from Gupta, Jaishankar said that five Indian citizens have acquired United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizenship in the last three years.
In a written reply to a separate question by Gupta, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said specific data on the number of businessmen and professionals who settled abroad during the last four years was not available.
“There are no restrictions on Indian nationals when it comes to traveling to foreign countries for tourism or employment. Some of them settle in their country of employment and acquire foreign nationality for personal reasons,” he said in his reply.
Muraleedharan added that the government has brought a “transformational change” in its engagement with the Indian diaspora around the world. “A successful, prosperous and influential diaspora is an asset to India. India has much to gain from leveraging its diaspora networks and making productive use of the soft power that comes from such a flourishing diaspora.
The government’s efforts are also aimed at harnessing the potential of the diaspora, including the transfer of technology and expertise, he added.
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