Refugees from 3 nations can apply for citizenship

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 29

The Centre has issued a notification inviting applications from the immigrants belonging to minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

Directive for 13 districts

• The applications will be accepted in Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara districts of Gujarat
• Durg & Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh
• Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan
• Faridabad in Haryana; Jalandhar in Punjab

According to the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the 13 districts in five states are Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara in Gujarat; Durg and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh; Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan; Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab. The collectors of these districts would have “the powers exercisable by the Centre for the registration as a citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under Section 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, in respect of such applicants, it said.

“In respect of the applicants residing in districts other than Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab, the secretaries of home departments of the two states can exercise these powers,” the MHA notification said.

“The applications will be made by the applicants online. The verification will be done simultaneously by the collector or the secretary, as the case may be, at the district level and the state level and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Central Government on the online portal,” the notification read.

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