Citizenship

Canada to amend citizenship law, likely to benefit Indian-origin families

Canada has moved closer toward modernising citizenship-by-descent law, after a bill to amend the act received royal assent, in a move that is likely to affect thousands of Indian-origin families. Bill C-3, an Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), has received royal assent. This represents an important milestone in making the Citizenship Act more inclusive, while maintaining the value of Canadian citizenship, said a news release issued by the Canadian government on Friday. "Once the new law comes into force, Canadian citizenship will be provided to people born before the bill comes into force, who would have been citizens if not for the first-generation limit or other outdated rules of past legislation, the news release said. The first-generation limit to Canadian citizenship by descent was introduced in 2009. It means that a child born or adopted outside Canada is not a Canadian citizen by descent if their Canadian parent was also born or adopted outside Canada. This limit cause

Former Madagascar president Rajoelina stripped of citizenship after coup

Former Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has been stripped of his citizenship after he was ousted during a military takeover just over a week ago. Rajoelina, whose whereabouts remain unknown after he fled the country following protests that demanded his resignation, also holds French citizenship. The country's new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, has signed a decree invoking laws which strip all Madagascans of their citizenship if they have citizenship of another country. Rajoelina's possession of French nationality had previously caused a debate about his eligibility to run for the presidency in the 2023 polls, an election he won. He fled the country at the height of youth-led protests, which brought thousands into the streets in several cities and initially sparked a harsh crackdown by security forces that left 22 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to the United Nations. At the time, he said he feared for his life, and addressed the nation from an unk

Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID not proof of citizenship: Bombay HC ruling decoded

In a key ruling with implications for immigration cases, the Bombay High Court has held that documents like Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and voter ID cards cant be treated as proof of Indian citizenship

Only Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID not sufficient proof of citizenship: Bombay HC

Justice Borkar mentioned that the claim of citizenship can only be examined under the rules of the Citizenship Act, 1955

Donald Trump's birthright citizenship limits blocked again by judge

A preliminary injunction was granted Thursday by US Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire, restricting enforcement of Trump's order while the case proceeds

India building comprehensive database of Girmitiya community: PM Modi

Addressing the Indian community in Port of Spain during his first visit to the Caribbean country, PM Modi underlined the deep emotional and cultural ties that bind India with its diaspora

Germany to introduce legislation to abolish fast-track path to citizenship

The cabinet is expected on Wednesday to approve a bill put forth by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt to get rid of expedited citizenship

Allahabad HC to hear govt's response on Rahul Gandhi's citizenship plea

In the last hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the status report by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to directly address whether Gandhi is an Indian citizen

New German govt ends 3-year citizenship policy, retains 5-year route

Coalition government has also decided not to move ahead with proposals to strip dual nationality of their citizenship if they are involved in extremist activities

Pakistan distances itself from Tahawwur Rana, says he is Canadian citizen

During a weekly press briefing, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Rana had not renewed his documentation in over 20 years and holds Canadian nationality

HC gives 4 weeks to Centre to decide on Rahul Gandhi's citizenship

The high court was hearing a plea filed by a Karnataka resident S Vignesh Shishir who alleged that Rahul Gandhi is a citizen of Britain along with India

Lalit Modi seeks to surrender Indian citizenship, secures Vanuatu passport

India has been pursuing legal proceedings against Modi for over a decade, seeking his extradition on charges of tax evasion and financial irregularities

Pakistan sets March 31 as deadline for Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave

The Pakistan government has set March 31 as the deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACCs) holders to leave Pakistan voluntarily as part of a plan to repatriate all illegal foreigners, according to an official document. The document, purportedly leaked to the media on Friday night, indicated that the ACC holders staying in Islamabad and Rawalpindi would be moved out and sent back to Afghanistan as part of a multiphase relocation plan for Afghan migrants, including those awaiting resettlement in third countries. The decision comes amidst deteriorating ties between Islamabad and Kabul over the issue of terrorism and it may impact over 800,000 documented Afghan refugees holding Afghan Citizen Cards and are included in the category of documented refugees, contrary to hundreds and thousands of undocumented ones. It stated that the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme (IFRP) has been implemented since November 1, 2023 and in continuation to the government's decision to repatriate all ..

Tiny island nation offers citizenship for 91 lakh to battle climate crisis

A tiny island nation, Nauru, is selling citizenships worldwide to help relocate its citizens to a safer, higher ground to protect from rising threats of climate change

280,000 Canadians want Elon Musk's citizenship revoked: Here's why

Elon Musk's ties to Donald Trump have raised concerns in Canada, especially as the US President has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports

Will offer 'gold cards' for $5 mn path to citizenship, says Trump

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he plans to offer a gold card visa with a path to citizenship for USD5 million, replacing a 35-year-old visa for investors. "They'll be wealthy and they'll be successful, and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it's going to be extremely successful, Trump said in the Oval Office. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump Gold Card would replace EB-5 visas in two weeks. EB-5s were created by Congress in 1990 to generate foreign investment and are available to people who spend about USD1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people. Lutnick said the gold card actually a green card, or permanent legal residency would raise the price of admission for investors and do away with fraud and nonsense that he said characterize the EB-5 program. Like other green cards, it would include a path to citizenship. About 8,000 people obtained investor visas in the 12-month .

Greece's ex-royals seek citizenship 50 years after monarchy was abolished

Members of Greece's former royal family have applied for Greek citizenship and formally acknowledged the country's republican system of government, in a landmark move 50 years after the monarchy was abolished, officials confirmed Friday. The late King Constantine II and his family members were stripped of Greek citizenship in 1994 in a dispute with the government over formerly royal property and over claims that he refused to renounce any right to the Greek throne for his descendants. Interior Ministry official Athanasios Balerpas said that relatives of the late king, who died last year at the age of 82, signed a declaration Thursday acknowledging the republican government and adopting a new surname, De Grece French for of Greece. A historically pending matter is being resolved, Balerpas told state-run radio. Let's look to the future now. I think it's a good moment because it closes an account from the past and we can now look forward as a people. Officials have not officially nam

Delhi court grants Umar Khalid 7-day interim bail to attend family wedding

Khalid is required to surrender before the Jail Superintendent on the evening of January 3, 2025

Italy grants citizenship to Argentine Prez Javier Milei for his heritage

Javier Milei, whose grandparents migrated from Italy to Argentina, was granted Italian citizenship based on his ancestral ties, according to Italy's foreign ministry

'Let Centre decide': Delhi HC on plea over Rohingya school admissions

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to enrol Rohingya refugee children in local schools, saying it was the Centre's domain. A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said the matter pertained to "international issues" having ramifications on security and nationality, and therefore, the petitioner should make a representation to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Petitioner NGO, Social Jurist, submitted the Delhi government and the MCD were not granting admissions to these children from Myanmar in their schools for want of an Aadhaar card. The court said the petitioner's representation would be decided by the authorities as expeditiously as possible. "Let (Ministry of) Home Affairs (MHA) take a call on this. There are a lot of issues involved. We can't get involved. Let it go to the MHA," the bench said. The court observed "Rohingyas were foreigners" who hadn't been "officially and legally granted entry into