Australia is rapidly gaining popularity as the preferred choice for Indians seeking citizenship, with a noteworthy 23,533 individuals officially obtaining nationality in the Land Down Under during the year 2021.
Revealing these statistics to the Indian Parliament, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jayashankar, disclosed that a staggering count of over 200,000 Indian nationals chose to relinquish their citizenship in the year 2022. This marked the highest figure recorded since 2011.
Among the 135 nations where Indians pursued citizenship, New Zealand secured a commendable sixth position, while the United States clinched the leading rank.
Comparing the data, it’s evident that in 2019, more than 21,000 Indians embraced Australian nationality, whereas a mere 4,413 opted for Kiwi passports.
Though both nations faced a setback in 2020 due to the global pandemic, Australia managed to maintain its prominent second place.
The momentum continued in 2021, witnessing a surge in both countries. Notably, 23,533 Indians exchanged their Indian passports for the privileges of Australian citizenship. In contrast, only a fraction of that number pursued Kiwi citizenship.
Drawing insights from the 2018 census, it’s established that New Zealand accommodates around 240,000 individuals with Indian ethnicity. Among this demographic, a substantial 80,000 fall under the category of non-resident Indians (NRIs), retaining their Indian citizenship. The rest constitute people of Indian origin (PIO).
Contrasting this, Australia boasts a minimum of 241,000 NRIs and a noteworthy 255,000 PIOs. This demographic distinction potentially elucidates the higher count of Australian citizenships.
Further delving into the figures, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported in 2021 that a significant count of 163,000 Indians chose to relinquish their Indian passports. Impressively, over 78,000 amongst this number chose to embrace US citizenship.
Statistics from the Indian government indicate that an impressive total of more than 390,000 Indians have surrendered their Indian passports over the course of the past three years.
In alignment with many other Asian nations, India upholds the policy of disallowing dual nationalities for its citizens. However, it extends the opportunity for individuals to become overseas citizens of India, a form of permanent residency that grants them the privilege to reside and work indefinitely within India.
