14 Individuals Receive Citizenship Certificates Under CAA for the First Time

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to applicants in Delhi and highlighted the key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The CAA, enacted in December 2019, reduces the qualification period for citizenship applications from 11 to 5 years for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

The Act aims to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from these countries, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians. The rules enabling Indian citizenship under the CAA were issued on March 11, 2021, following a four-year delay.

The ruling BJP cited the pandemic as the reason for the delay in implementation, but the move drew sharp criticism from the opposition, which views it as discriminatory and tied to electoral politics. However, the government asserts that the CAA does not prevent persecuted Muslims from applying for Indian citizenship under existing laws.

Despite the government’s stance, protests erupted in several parts of the country over concerns that the law could lead to the declaration of individuals as illegal immigrants and the potential loss of Indian citizenship. The government maintains that the law is intended to assist persecuted minorities in Muslim-majority nations and emphasizes that no Indian citizen will be required to prove their citizenship.

Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by Amit Shah, clarified that the Citizenship Act does not address the deportation of illegal immigrants.