MHA Notifies Citizenship Rule Changes Requiring Surrender of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan Passports
New Delhi: The Union government on Monday (May 18) notified draft changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009. According to the new rules, applicants are required to declare possession and surrender passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026 introduce a new provision in Schedule 1C of the 2009 rules. The provision requires applicants to state whether they possess a valid or expired passport from any of the three countries.
Applicants who hold such passports will have to provide details including the passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date. They must also surrender the passport to the concerned Senior Superintendent of Post or Superintendent of Post within 15 days of approval of Indian citizenship.
The notification said the rules will take effect from the date of publication in the official gazette.
An MHA official told the Indian Express that the amendment was intended to strengthen verification and maintain records in citizenship-related cases. The home ministry has also introduced electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) cards, an online application system and more stringent norms on dual passports for minors.
It must be noted that the gazette notification has come after the conclusion of polls in West Bengal where the Matua community – a large group of Dalit Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh decades ago – do not have the necessary documents. Matuas are considered a support base for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The notification does not mention any other documents, allowing members of the Matua community to continue applying for citizenship under CAA.
The Wire has previously reported on BJP-run CAA assistance camps in districts such as North 24 Parganas and Nadia, where workers were helping applicants prepare and upload CAA forms and collect supporting documents. The report also noted concerns among some members of the Matua community over being asked to declare Bangladeshi origins and pay fees for assistance with applications.
Amid growing anxiety around the withdrawal of citizenship and welfare benefits from those deleted from electoral rolls in the contentious Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal, the BJP has been pointing out that Hindus can apply for citizenship under CAA and continue receiving these benefits.
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