Number of Indians travelling abroad up 137%, still below pre-pandemic level

Rising 137 per cent from 7.72 million in 2021, 18 million Indians went abroad between January and November in 2022, the data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Bureau of Immigration (BoI) showed. The number, barring students, is yet to reach the pre-pandemic level, a report by the Times of India (TOI) said. 

 

7.2 million, 40 per cent of the 18 million left the country for "residency", and another 7.1 million were tourists. 

 

The BoI maintains the travel data of Indian's departure and arrival. The purpose of the travel is filled manually and "is based either on their (passengers') verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country produced by them at the time of according immigration clearance".

 

Education was the only category that topped the pre-pandemic levels. Between January and November, 0.44 million students went abroad to study. In 2019, this stood at 0.58 million and 0.52 million in 2018. 

 

The number of Indians renouncing citizenship has increased significantly in the last few years.

 

The number of Indians who renounced their citizenship was 1,33,049 in 2017. In 2022, it has increased to 1,83,741 till October 31, 2022.

 

"As per the information available with the ministry, the number of foreign nationals except those from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who took Indian citizenship was 93 (in 2015), 153 (in 2016), 175 (in 2017), 129 (in 2018), 113 (in 2019), 27 (in 2020), 42 (in 2021) and 60 (in 2022)," minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan told the Lok Sabha on December 9. 

 

(With agency inputs)