An average of 1,35,000 Indians per year renounced their Indian citizenship and moved to other countries during 2015-19, said the central government. The clarification was given by the Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in response to MP Karti Chidambaram's questions in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In 2015, 1,41,656 renounced their Indian citizenship. In 2016, the number increased to 1,44,942, and in the following year, it was 1,27,905 people. In 2018, 1,25,130 Indians renounced their citizenship, and in 2019 the statistics stood at 1,36,441.
Even though the MP from Tamil Nadu asked for numbers for the last five years, no numbers were received for 2020. The questionnaire also sought numbers of Indians currently living in foreign countries to know whether there was an increase in OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cards. Karti also enquired whether the government is considering the proposal for dual citizenship.