"Problematic": Here's What US Religious Freedom Body Said On Citizenship Amendment Act Implementation

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has expressed apprehension regarding the Indian government's recent notification of rules to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

“The problematic CAA establishes a religious requirement for asylum seekers in India fleeing neighbouring countries,” USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck said in a statement.

Schneck also said that while CAA provides a fast track to citizenship for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians, the law explicitly excludes Muslims.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which has been a subject of controversy, aims to grant citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, earlier emphasized that the law's focus is on granting citizenship, not on revoking it.

"The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights,” he said.

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Schneck emphasized that if the law aimed to protect persecuted religious minorities, it should include various marginalized groups, such as Rohingya Muslims from Burma and Ahmadiyya Muslims from Pakistan.

The USCIRF urged members of the US Congress to continue addressing religious freedom issues in India and to include religious freedom in discussions with Indian authorities.

Meanwhile, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) provided a factual analysis of the CAA, asserting that it aims to grant citizenship to persecuted religious minorities from India's neighboring Islamic countries.

“Contrary to misconceptions, it does not involve depriving or revoking the citizenship of or deporting Muslims in India. Therefore, it could aptly be called the “Act for Expedited Citizenship for Religious Minority Persecuted”,” FIIDS said

FIIDS clarified that the Act does not involve revoking citizenship or deporting Muslims in India.

“We trust that the USCIRF, other agencies and interested entities will find this information on CAA appropriate...", it added.

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