To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of India's Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on the (1) persecution, and (2) displacement, of the six minority religious groups that were not given the eligibility to apply for citizenship in India under that Act.
Answered on
22 January 2020
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India are following reports on the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens, as well as the Government of India’s response. We raise our concerns with the Government of India where appropriate. I discussed the Government of India’s intent with the CAA, and public response to the legislation, with India’s Minister of State for External Affairs on 19 December 2019. The British High Commissioner in New Delhi also raised this issue with the Indian Government on 6 January.
India has a proud history of inclusive government and religious tolerance. Post-election, Prime Minister Modi promised to continue this under the guiding principles of “together with all, development for all, trust of all”. We trust the Government of India will provide reassurances to its citizens who are expressing concern about the impact this legislation may have. We will continue to monitor the situation.