Refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh can apply for Indian citizenship

Centre has invited Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.The Union Home Ministry issued a notification in this regard on Friday. The govt has decided to give the Indian citizenship for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955. People who are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship are those currently living in the districts of Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara of Gujarat, Durg and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh, Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan, Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab.

This is in addition to the 16 districts in seven states that were given powers to verify and approve citizenship under pre-CAA provision i.e., Citizenship Act, 1955. The total number of districts where this is being implemented is 29 districts in nine states. The fresh order is no way connected to the Citizenship Amendment Act enacted in 2019. The home ministry said the verification of the application is done simultaneously by the collector or secretary (Home) of Haryana and Punjab as the case may be, at the district-level and the state-level, and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Centre on the online portal.