The maximum number of people are from Bangladesh and most of them became Indian citizens in 2015

Nearly 19,000 people from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh were given Indian citizenship during the period 2014-2019.

The maximum number of people - 15,036 - are from Bangladesh, and most of them became Indian citizens in 2015 after the signing of the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

During the five-year period, 2,935 people from Pakistan were granted Indian citizenship, the minister said. The maximum number - 809 - was in 2019.

In the case of applicants from Afghanistan, 914 people became Indian citizens during the same period, the minister’s reply in Rajya Sabha said. The total number of people from the three countries who became Indian citizens during these five years was 18,885.

Indian citizenship was granted under Section 5 (by registration), under Section 6 (by naturalization), and Section 7 (by incorporation of territory) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.

In 2015, 14,864 people from Bangladesh were granted Indian citizenship under Section 7 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Another 16 were included under Sections 5 and 6.

The minister’s reply stated that records of applications received for Indian citizenship were not maintained religion-wise.