Syllabus: GS-II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Legal Issues, Issue: Bills/Acts/Rules
Context: Government has notified the Citizenship amendment rules.
- The rules implement the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Offers Indian citizenship for “illegal migrants” from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan.
Key Concerns:
- Applicants must prove citizenship and entry before 2014, a challenging task.
- Document-centric approach disregards the collapse of document systems in countries like Afghanistan.
- Composition and lack of procedures raise concerns over fair adjudication at Empowered and District Level Committees.
- Expectation to declare oneself as an “illegal migrant” exposes applicants to arbitrary state powers.
- Lack of transparent asylum mechanisms undermines the CAA’s humanitarian claims.
