Afghan Sikhs’ Citizenship Under the CAA | 14 Aug 2024

Source: TH

In a significant development, twenty Afghan Sikhs have recently been granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 in New Delhi, marking a pivotal step for many long-term visa holders who have sought Indian citizenship for decades.

Some applicants, who have been living in India on long-term visas since 1997, had their citizenship applications pending under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
CAA vs. 1955 Act: In December 2019, the Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended to facilitate citizenship through registration and naturalisation to undocumented migrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian) from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who entered India on or before 31st December 2014, and reduced the period to qualify for citizenship from the existing requirement of continuous stay of 11 years to five years.
- Many Afghan Sikhs are petitioning to migrate their applications from the 1955 Act to the CAA, as the latter provides a better chance of obtaining citizenship.
Applications under the 1955 Act faced delays due to the involvement of multiple authorities, whereas the CAA streamlined the process by removing the State government’s role, resulting in quicker approvals.