Thursday, 28 Mar 2024

India state citizenship list leaves out nearly 2M people, splitting families

A 60-year-old woman died Saturday morning after throwing herself into a well in the eastern India state of Assam, because she mistakenly thought she was one of nearly two million people left off a list of recognized citizens.

An hour after she was dragged out of the well, the final list was released and included the woman, Sayera Begum, and her husband and son.

The citizens’ list was updated for the first time since 1951, as part of an effort to identify and deport undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, which declared its independence from Pakistan that year.

But its publication in many cases split families, leaving their futures in limbo.

People left off the list fear of loss of citizenship and long stretches of detention. The government already detained thousands of people suspected of being foreigners in temporary camps which are housed in the state’s prisons.

Those left off the list have 120 days to appeal to the Foreigner Tribunals.

Source: Read Full Article

Related Posts