New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that nearly 9 lakh Indians have renounced their citizenship in the last five years. This trend has been consistent with the adoption of foreign citizenship by Indians living abroad.
Number of renunciations by year
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the government has year-wise records of persons renouncing citizenship. The number of people who renounced citizenship in the last five years was as follows:
2020: 85,256
2021: 163,370
2022: 225,620
2023: 216,219
2024: 206,378
A total of 1,189,194 Indians renounced their citizenship between 2011 and 2019.
Complaints from Indians abroad
The Minister of State for External Affairs also informed that a total of 16,127 complaints were received from Indians living abroad in the financial year 2024-25. These complaints were mainly registered through government online complaint portals, including:
Madad Portal: 11,195 complaints
CPGRAMS Portal: 4,932 complaints
List of top countries in complaints
The top countries in terms of complaints are as follows:
Saudi Arabia – 3,049
UAE – 1,587
Malaysia – 662
US – 620
Oman – 613
Kuwait – 549
Canada – 345
Australia – 318
UK – 299
Qatar – 289
MEA’s grievance redressal system
Singh said that India’s grievance redressal system is robust and multi-channel based. This includes emergency helplines, walk-ins, social media and 24×7 multilingual support. Most cases are resolved through prompt communication, mediation with employers and collaboration with foreign authorities.
Delays in some cases include incomplete information, uncooperative employers, and limited role of Indian missions.
Legal aid and expatriate welfare
Panel lawyers are appointed to provide legal aid to Indians abroad, and support is provided through the Indian Community Welfare Fund.
The safety of workers abroad is a priority, and NRI assistance centres and consular camps provide guidance and outreach in key areas.