Nearly 1.6 Lakh Indians Opted For Canadian Citizenship In Last 5 Years: MEA

Around 160,000 Indians, comprising nearly 20% of the total global figures, have chosen Canadian citizenship between January 2018 and June 2023, according to data from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). This comes during a period of tense relations between India and Canada.

A report by the Times of India reveals that Canada has become the second most popular location for Indian expats at this time, trailing behind the United States. Australia and the UK rank as the third and fourth choices respectively.

The report stated that roughly 840,000 Indians renounced their Indian nationality within the stated period, obtaining citizenship in 114 diverse nations, and a significant 58% opted for the US or Canada.

As per TOI, the annual data indicating the number of Indians giving up their nationality shows a generally increasing pattern, although there was a decrease in 2020 because of the global health crisis. The figures rose sharply from 130,000 in 2018 to 220,000 in 2022. Slightly more than 87,000 Indians chose to take up foreign citizenship in the initial six months of 2023.

Ravneet Bittu, Ludhiana MP from the Congress party, recently penned a note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the apprehension experienced by Indians based in Canada due to ongoing stress.

"Over six lakh Indian students are studying in Canada, many of them have also applied for permanent residency. The increased tension might lead to delays or complications in visa processing for Indian students, who plan to study in Canada or those seeking visa extensions," he was quoted as saying. He appealed to PM Modi to prioritize the students' welfare in Canada.

Manpreet Kaur, a Punjab student working in Toronto, was quoted as saying, "My sister-in-law is pregnant and she holds Canadian citizenship. We were expecting my mother to visit us in Canada and her visa application was already made in India. Under these existing circumstances, we are uncertain on how to proceed."