India says it gave citizenships to 4,500 from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan in 4 years

India has granted citizenships to over 4500 members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan in the four years till 2022, as per data from the Indian Home Ministry. 

The highest number of citizenships granted to those belonging to persecuted minorities was in 2022, reports The Economic Times, quoting officials. 

The officials said the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 rules would help speed up pending citizenship cases through registration and naturalisation for displaced people from the three countries.

The number of citizenships granted to minority communities was less due to the centralised process following which the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, first in 2016 and then in 2021-22, granted powers to district magistrates and collectors to grant citizenships to minorities belonging to the six communities. 

According to the Indian Home Ministry, a total of collectors from 31 districts and home secretaries of nine states have been delegated powers by the central government to grant citizenship with respect to specified communities.

Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are among them.