CAA & NRC in India

In today's news episode, Claire will discuss the growing unrest in India over the recent enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by President Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party just weeks before elections. With the CAA and the possibility of enacting the National Register of Citizens (NRC), many claim that Muslim immigrants living in India will now be turned into refugees, with more barriers for reentry into the country.

Sources:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/12/why-is-indias-citizenship-amendment-act-so-controversial https://theintercept.com/2020/01/30/india-citizenship-act-caa-nrc-assam/ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-government-announces-citizenship-amendment-act-rules-4-years-after-bill-was-passed/article67939010.ece

Script:

Hello everyone, I’m Claire Mattes and you’re listening to Seeking Refuge News. Protests have erupted in India after the Indian Government announced on Monday that the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, which was passed in 2019 but not not enforced, will now be brought into effect. The CAA will come into force on the eve of elections, and is India’s first religion-based citizenship test, discriminating against Muslims and other refugees. This act has brought about critique from many student groups throughout the country, as well as human rights groups and state government leaders. So, why is this act so controversial? According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata party, the goal of the CAA is to help the persecuted. An article from the intercept states, “that he has framed the CAA as a noble effort to welcome Hindus who are oppressed in neighboring Muslim-majority countries.” However, the intricacies of the law make it clear that it will prevent many Muslim refugees from entering India. Before the law was passed, all foreign nationals must spend 11 years in India before gaining citizenship eligibility. Now, the CAA will expedite this process to only 5 years for certain groups fleeing persecution who arrived before December 31, 2014. These groups are Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Sikhs seeking asylum from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. According to Aljazeera, Muslim asylum seekers will still need to wait 11 years, and, unlike other religious groups, will be required to have valid documentation to justify their presence. This means that once they reapply for citizenship through the online portal provided by the government, they will become refugees, and in order to reenter, many will need the proper documentation, which is unlikely that they will have.  Additionally, the passage of the National Register of Citizens, which is designed to deport people without the proper papers, is leaving very few options for Muslim asylum seekers. Although the law is only in effect in the northeast state of Assam, many fear it will become a nationwide policy. With these two policies combined, the country would be able to deport all “illegal” immigrants, and only allow reentry to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians, according to Aljazeera.  Modi has denied any wrongdoing, but many critics have noted the previous anti-Muslim actions this year, such as the move to strip Kashmire of autonomy back in August of 2023, and a long history of violence and breaches of international law in the six detention centers located in Assam, where majority Muslim asylum seekers are being held, says the Intercept. The Hindu writes that West Bengal Chief Minister says the CAA would take away rights and lead people to detention camps, later stating, “Those who are being asked to apply, the moment they apply, from becoming citizens they will become illegal refugees. What will happen to your properties, your jobs and the studies of your children? Everything will be declared illegal.”  These actions have drawn criticism from all over the country, with hundreds of thousands of protestors, majority being students. However, the intercept noted that some students were protesting against the snti-Muslim policies, while other were protesting the expedited process for any group of immigrants. According to Aljazeer, Many are regarding the actions of the BJP as unconstitutional, citing article 14 of the constitution. The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Human Rights Watch has also declared this discriminatory against Muslims. We will be sure to keep you updated on the latest news regarding refugees worldwide. Thank you for listening, and we’ll see you again on Seeking Refuge News.

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Our Team: Claire Mattes (Writer, Producer) Shireen Kaur Anusha Ghosh Thrisha Mote Yatin Nerella Rohit Swain Victoria Halsey Diana Clarke Saanvi Somani Emily Jenson Charlie Winston Carolina Lochner Jazmine Rathi Kat Wyandt Josh Evans Liam Ogden Maggie Austin Molly Mims