Passport surrenders double in a year in Gujarat

As per the report, 241 people had renounced passports in 2022, which doubled to 485 in 2023.

By early May 2024, this number had already reached 244.

Most of the passports surrendered were from individuals aged 30-45, the report added.

According to the report, most of the people who surrendered passports are settled in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

As per Parliamentary data, Gujarat is at third place in terms of citizenship renunciation with 22,300 renouncing their citizenship between 2014 and 2022. Delhi with 60,414 renunciations and Punjab with 28,117 are at the top two spots.

According to the report, passport renunciation has jumped post-Covid.

According to a senior officer who wished to remain anonymous, a significant number of young people from Gujarat go abroad for higher education and eventually settle there, contributing to the rise in passport surrenders.

Investor visa consultant Lalit Advani pointed out that the trend is taking root among the business community.

"Many businessmen are moving abroad for better infrastructure and quality of life. Even those with high living standards in India want to move due to issues like lack of green spaces and poor driving conditions. Cities in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, are not pedestrian-friendly," Advani stated.

There are three main categories of visas: student, direct immigration, and business, according to passport consultant Ritesh Desai.
"Since 2012, there's been a spike in people wanting to go abroad, particularly after 2013-2014.

I expect the number of passport surrenders to increase significantly by 2028 as more people who have moved abroad now obtain their foreign citizenship," Desai elaborated.

Desai also mentioned that the number of people applying for business visas remains limited due to country quotas.

According to the Passports Act 1967, Indian passport holders must surrender their passports after acquiring foreign nationality.
If done within three years, there is no penalty.

However, fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 can be imposed if done after three years.

Source : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/passport-surrenders-double-in-a-year-in-gujarat-heres-the-reason-why/articleshow/111663889.cms