Washington: The United States on Thursday (local time) said it was concerned about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was recently notified by the Indian government to expedite Indian citizenship for persecuted migrants from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The US State Department said it was closely monitoring the implementation of the legislation.

“So we are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11. We are closely monitoring this act – how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a regular press briefing.

The rules for implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 were notified on March 11, four years after being passed, thus paving the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, according to officials.

With the CAA rules being issued, the Modi government has now started granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India till December 31, 2014. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that a helpline number will soon be launched to assist applicants for Indian citizenship. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs had readied a portal for the convenience of the applicants as the entire process will be online. The applicants must declare the year when they entered India without travel documents.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured minorities that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is not meant to snatch anyone’s citizenship. He also stressed that the Citizenship Amendment Act will never be taken back and the Centre will not compromise on the sovereign right to ensure Indian citizenship in the country. 

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