Controversial Indian citizenship law requires refugees to provide evidence of religious affiliation

EPA-EFE//DIVYAKANT SOLANKI
Indian Muslim women protesters shout slogans during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act on the outskirts of Mumbai.

- Advertisement -

India has tightened its citizenship law for migrants coming from neighbouring Muslim-countries. Under the new controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, which has sparked widespread protests in the world’s largest democracy, asylum seekers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan must provide evidence of their religious beliefs.
Applicants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Bahai, or Zoarastraian faiths will also need to provide documents confirming that they legally entered India on December 31, 2014, or earlier. In order to gain citizenship, they also need to confirm that they are seeking asylum due to religious persecution in their countries of origin.
The Indian Parliament passed the Citizenship Act on December 11, 2019, a decision that has sparked mass protests against the controversial law. Rights groups have argued that the law is illegal because it violates India’s secular constitution by making citizenship contingent on the basis of religion.

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

Latest

On the two-year anniversary, G7 Foreign Ministers address the devastating war in Sudan

After nearly 23 months of war, on March 21,...

Doom, gloom or boom?

While it is an almost painful daily task to...

Don't miss

On the two-year anniversary, G7 Foreign Ministers address the devastating war in Sudan

After nearly 23 months of war, on March 21,...

Doom, gloom or boom?

While it is an almost painful daily task to...

Romania utilizing all available resources to boost its energy independence

Romania is using all energy resources available, including natural...

Iran protesters mark anniversary of “Bloody Friday”

Residents in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan gathered by the thousands on September 30 to stage protests marking the first anniversary of...

Turkey’s seismic shift

This breakthrough in normalization between Armenia and Turkey comes amid a much wider context, well beyond the simple validation of earthquake diplomacy to elevate crisis response over conflict retention. 

Kazakh to increase the share of renewable energy sources

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the goal is to bring the share of renewable energy in the country's energy balance to at least 15%...

Interview: A Palestinian candidate for mayor in Padova

NE Global spoke during the electoral campaign for the administrative election with Salim El Maoued, candidate mayor of Padova with an independent civic list....

Multinational companies, Tokayev discuss investment in Kazakhstan

Multinational companies and the Kazakh government have discussed the implementation of joint investment projects in Kazakhstan.On the eve of the 34th meeting of the...

Kazakhstan’s citizens approve Constitutional amendments in state-wide referendum

Kazakhstan’s Central Referendum Commission announced on June 6 the preliminary official results of a state-wide referendum on the adoption of amendments to the Constitution...

Interview: Polish film showing animal gentle soul is awarded in Cannes

NE Global interviewed on the Croisette in exclusive Ewa Piakowska, screenwriter of the film EO which landed, ex-equo with the Belgian “Le Otto Montagne”,...

Political ads: At the heart of democracy and the economy

The EU reached a milestone in March when it concluded an agreement on the Digital Services Act (DSA), accompanied by its sister legislation the...