Only three granted citizenship in Assam under CAA: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday revealed that only three foreigners have so far been granted Indian citizenship in Assam under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). 

This comes against the backdrop of widespread speculation and apprehension that lakhs of foreigners would obtain citizenship in the state through the CAA.

“Till now, only three people have received citizenship under the CAA in Assam,” Sarma said, while addressing reporters at an official event. He disclosed that the state government had received 12 applications in total, out of which three have been approved, while nine remain under consideration.

Highlighting the limited response, the CM remarked, “There was a huge hue and cry that 20–25 lakh people would get citizenship in Assam. Now, you decide whether it is relevant to discuss the CAA when only 12 applications have been received.”

One of the first beneficiaries, Dulon Das, a 50-year-old man, received Indian citizenship in August 2024, becoming the first person in Assam to do so under the amended law.

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The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and Parsis who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, provided they entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and completed five years of residence.

Although the CAA was passed by Parliament in December 2019, it was only implemented on March 11, 2024, after the rules were notified. The Centre has also directed state governments not to refer cases of non-Muslim illegal immigrants to Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) until a decision is made on their citizenship applications under the CAA.

With just three approvals in Assam so far, the implementation of the CAA in the state appears far more limited than earlier anticipated, even as the issue continues to stir sharp political debate.