Indians leave Indian citizenship at the fastest pace in 5 years, US top destination

Indians traveling overseas for work or study is not a new phenomenon. What is interesting, however, is the sheer pace with which Indians are relinquishing their Indian citizenship.

The data supplied by the ministry of home affairs, in response to a query, in Parliament shows that 2021 alone saw as many as 1.63 lakh Indians renouncing their citizenship. This figure is nearly double the 2020 figure when a little over 85,000 people had given up their citizenship. This is also the highest in the last 5 years.

The three-year period between 2019 and 2021, has seen over 3.92 lakh people shipping out of India and relinquishing their Indian passports. In fact, as per MHA data, over 8.5 lakh people have given up their citizenship from 2015 to September 2021.

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But where are Indians heading? The answer is western countries with better standards of living. Of the 1.63 lakh people relinquishing their citizenship in 2021, over 78,000 went to the US.

Canada saw as many as over 21,000 Indians opting for its passport. UK continues to feature among the top 5 destinations, with over 14,500 Indians swamping their Indian passports with one issued by the UK. Australia is another familiar port of call for Indians wanting to leave. Over 23,500 Indians opted for Australian citizenship in 2021.

In South East Asia, the destination of choice for Indians appears to be Singapore. Over 2,500 Indians have applied and have taken up citizenship in Singapore. Italy is also fast growing into a destination of choice for several Indians, with nearly 6,000 choosing the Mediterranean country.

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Meanwhile, Spain saw nearly 1,600 Indians apply and secure citizenship. Neighbouring Portugal saw more than 700 Indians take up citizenship.