India has taken the lead as the primary source of new migrants to OECD countries, surpassing China, according to a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The report, titled ‘International Migration Outlook: 2023,’ was released on Monday and highlights that Indians constitute the largest national group obtaining citizenship in affluent nations.
The OECD, a consortium of 38 member countries, primarily situated in Europe and the Americas, with most being affluent and developed nations, presented this data. According to the report, India has maintained its position as the primary country of origin for individuals acquiring citizenship in OECD nations since 2019.
The report specifies that India supplanted China as the primary source of new migrants to OECD countries in 2020, held its position in 2021, and, based on preliminary data, continued to do so in 2022.
According to the report, a total of 1,55,799 Indians obtained OECD citizenship in 2019, and this number slightly decreased to 1,32,795 in 2021. In the same year, India saw an outflow of 4 lakh new migrants (excluding students) to OECD-member countries.
The report highlighted that China (885,000) and India (424,000) were the leading countries of origin for international students in OECD countries. Among OECD nations, the primary destinations for Indian immigrants in 2021 were the United States (56,000), Australia (24,000), and Canada (21,000). Notably, India was the birthplace of 60,000 new Canadians, as per the report.
The data also revealed a significant trend: it’s not solely high net worth individuals (HNWI) from India seeking to settle in these countries. In 2022, India became the tenth-largest origin country for asylum in the OECD, showing a substantial five-fold increase in numbers.
Earlier this year, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, informed the Parliament that a record-breaking 2,25,620 individuals renounced their Indian citizenship in 2022 to settle abroad. This marked the first time the figure surpassed the two lakh mark in a single year.
Government data revealed that since 2011, a total of 16,63,440 Indians have given up their Indian citizenship. In 2011, 1,22,819 people renounced their citizenship, followed by 1,20,923 in 2012, 1,31,405 in 2013, and 1,29,328 in 2014. The trend continued with 1,31,489 individuals in 2015, 1,41,603 in 2016, 1,33,049 in 2017, and 1,34,561 in 2018. In 2019, the number stood at 1,44,017, dropping to 85,256 in 2020 and rising again to 1,63,370 in 2021.
In 2021, out of the 1,63,370 individuals who renounced Indian citizenship, a significant portion chose the USA as their new home. Approximately 78,284 Indians acquired US citizenship, followed by 23,533 in Australia, 21,597 in Canada, and 14,637 in the UK, as per the data.
The recently released report highlighted the increasing interest among policymakers and the international community in addressing displacement caused by climate change. It noted that only a few OECD countries have implemented explicit policies to respond to climate-induced displacement.
For instance, in April 2023, Colombia’s Congress initiated discussions on a groundbreaking bill to recognise climate-induced displacement, marking a first in Latin America. The bill, which broadly defines climate-displaced individuals, prioritises their access to housing, healthcare, and education.
It also aims to establish a national register of climate-displaced people. The bill has gained approval in the initial round of discussions, with three more rounds required for it to pass into law.
Regarding nationalities, the report revealed that 0.13 million Indian citizens acquired citizenship in an OECD country in 2021. Notably, the majority of these acquisitions occurred in the United States (56,000), Australia (24,000), and Canada (21,000), mirroring the trends of previous years. In 2021, Mexico ranked second, with 0.19 million Mexicans gaining citizenship in another OECD country, predominantly in the United States.
The report also highlighted a record influx of refugees from Ukraine due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with more than 10 million people becoming internally displaced or refugees in the OECD region.
In terms of labour migration, significant increases were observed from India (+172 percent), Uzbekistan (+122 percent), and Turkey (+240 percent), making them primary countries of origin after Ukraine. These statistics underscored the shifting patterns in global migration flows.
