India has tightened citizenship verification procedures for applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan by introducing stricter passport disclosure and surrender requirements under the Citizenship Rules, 2009.
According to a new notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, applicants from the three neighbouring countries must now declare whether they possess any valid or expired passports issued by Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan.
Those holding such passports will be required to submit details including passport number, place of issue, date of issue and expiry date as part of their citizenship applications.
The revised rules also introduce a mandatory undertaking requiring applicants to surrender any foreign passport issued by the three countries within 15 days of receiving Indian citizenship approval.
Officials say the move is aimed at improving identity verification, strengthening documentation and preventing cases where applicants continue to retain foreign travel documents after obtaining Indian nationality.
According to officials quoted by Hindustan Times, the amendment follows cases where applicants were found retaining expired or invalid foreign passports despite applying for Indian citizenship.
The new provision has been inserted into Schedule IC of the Citizenship Rules, 2009, which applies to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014 and are eligible under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
The CAA continues to face legal challenges in the Supreme Court, with critics alleging the law discriminates on religious grounds by excluding Muslims.
Government officials, however, have described the amendment as an administrative clarification intended to improve record-keeping and ensure compliance with Indian citizenship laws.
(With inputs from agencies)
