The Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which denies citizenship to individuals who entered India after March 25, 1971. The ruling was delivered on Thursday by a bench of four members led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. The court ruled in favour of maintaining the validity of this provision, which provides citizenship benefits to those who entered the country between January 1, 1966, and March 25, 1971. Most of these beneficiaries are Bangladeshi nationals. Therefore, individuals who arrived in India after this cut-off date will not be eligible for citizenship. Trudeau accuses India of promoting violence in Canada: Reports However, Justice J.B. Pardiwala dissented, stating that Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, enacted in 1955, is unconstitutional. Despite this dissenting opinion, the majority ruling upheld the provision with a 4:1 vote. Section 6A was specifically created for Assam in response to the violent anti-immigration movements in the state. This provision was established as part of the Assam Accord, a settlement reached between the Indian government and protesters in 1985 to address the issues of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. This ruling has significant implications for the status of many individuals in Assam, further complicating the contentious issue of citizenship in the region. Source: Hindustan Times

German lawmakers on Friday (January 19, 2024) approved legislation easing the rules on gaining citizenship and ending restrictions on holding dual citizenship. The government argues the plan will bolster the integration of immigrants and help attract skilled workers. Parliament voted 382-234 for the plan put forward by center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition, with 23 lawmakers abstaining. The main center-right opposition bloc criticized the project vehemently, arguing that it would cheapen German citizenship. The legislation will make people eligible for citizenship after five years in Germany, or three in case of “special integration accomplishments,” rather than eight or six years at present. German-born children would automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now. Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped. In principle, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland now have to give up their previous nationality when they gain German citizenship, though there are some exemptions. Germany, France, Denmark, Netherlands, UK, Canada file joint declaration of intervention in case against Myanmar at International Court of Justice The government says that 14% of the population — more than 12 million of the country’s 84.4 million inhabitants — doesn’t have German citizenship and that about 5.3 million of those have lived in Germany for at least a decade. It says that the naturalization rate in Germany is well below the EU average. In 2022, about 168,500 people were granted German citizenship. That was the highest figure since 2002, boosted by a large increase in the number of Syrian citizens who had arrived in the past decade being naturalized, but still only a fraction of long-term residents. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the reform puts Germany in line with European neighbors such as France and pointed to its need to attract more skilled workers. “We also must make qualified people from around the world an offer like the U.S., like Canada, of which acquiring German citizenship is a part,” she told reporters ahead of the vote. The legislation stipulates that people being naturalized must be able to support themselves and their relatives, though there are exemptions for people who came to West Germany as “guest workers” up to 1974 and for those who came to communist East Germany to work. The existing law requires that would-be citizens be committed to the “free democratic fundamental order,” and the new version specifies that antisemitic and racist acts are incompatible with that. Bangladesh to become world’s 9th largest market by 2030 overtaking UK, Germany: PM Hasina Scholz said in a video message that, at a time of mounting concern over the far right’s intentions toward immigrants, “we are telling all those who often have lived and worked for decades in Germany, who keep to our laws: You belong in Germany.” The reform means that no one will have to “deny his roots,” he added. The conservative opposition asserted that Germany is loosening citizenship requirements just as other countries are tightening theirs. “This isn’t a citizenship modernization bill — it is a citizenship devaluation bill,” center-right Christian Democrat Alexander Throm told lawmakers. People who have been in Germany for five or three years haven’t yet grown roots in the country, he said. And he argued that dropping restrictions on dual citizenship will “bring political conflicts from abroad into our politics.” The citizenship law overhaul is one of a series of social reforms that Scholz’s three-party coalition agreed to carry out when it took office in late 2021. Those also include plans to liberalize rules on the possession and sale of cannabis, and make it easier for transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to change their gender and name in official registers. Both still need parliamentary approval. In recent months, the government — which has become deeply unpopular as a result of persistent infighting, economic weakness and most recently a home-made budget crisis that resulted in spending and subsidy cuts — also has sought to defuse migration by asylum-seekers as a political problem. The citizenship reform was passed the day after lawmakers approved legislation that is intended to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers. Germany's CO2 emissions are at their lowest in 7 decades, study shows

 A 27-member delegation including 20 Rohingyas that left for Myanmar’s Rakhine on Friday morning returned to Bangladesh on Friday (May 05, 2023) around 5.50 pm after visiting 15 villages and other infrastructure built for the Rohingyas. “We have visited the places in our village, but I still don't see any opportunity to go there before fulfilling demands. We want to see the fulfillment of our demand from here (Bangladesh) and then we will return to Myanmar,” said Sufian, a member of the delegation and a resident of Rohingya camp number 26 while speaking at a briefing after returning at Teknaf-Myanmar Transit Ghat in Cox's Bazar. "We went there and made our demands. We have demanded citizenship, we have demanded our land," Sufian added. However, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, also the leader of the 27-member delegation team that went to Rakhine State, said, “We returned today with 20 Rohingyas after visiting the arrangements made for them around Maungdaw town. I have seen the goodwill of the Myanmar government regarding repatriation. We want to start repatriation.” Read More: China "unswervingly mediating" between Bangladesh, Myanmar to promote Rohingya repatriation: Ambassador Yao "We also had Rohingya representatives with us. Basically this event is for them. They will be deported, so they have been shown it in person. Myanmar authorities have briefed, visited various places," he added. At that time, Mizanur Rahman also assured that there are a lot of Rohingya in Maungdaw city. “As far as I can tell, about 80% of the Rohingya are doing business. I have spoken to them and told them that they are not facing any problem,” he said. Mohammad Selim, a Rohingya member of the delegation and a resident of Rohingya camp number 26, said that after many years, we have had the opportunity to see our country Myanmar. Read More: Rohingyas not bothered about facilities, their demand centres citizenship “Our last word is that if we are not given security, citizenship and land, we will not go back to Myanmar,” Selim said. Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (Additional Secretary) Mohammad Khalid Hossain, Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Biswajit Debnath and senior officials of various government agencies were present in the delegation. Earlier, a list of more than 800,000 Rohingyas was sent to Myanmar from the Bangladesh government. The country had identified about 1,140 people in the first phase as a pilot project to repatriate from the list. Later, Myanmar voiced objections regarding 429 individuals on the list. Read More: Rohingya delegation leaves for Rakhine to monitor repatriation arrangements On March 15, a 19-member technical team came to Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf, and met 480 members of 177 Rohingya families and returned to Myanmar.

The High Court on Thursday observed that the patriotism of a person who has a dual citizenship is divided into two parts. The HC bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kizir Hayat Lizu made the observation after a hearing in this regard. The court also set February 13 for passing an order on purchase of property by the people who have dual citizenship, and whether they are appointed for important posts (responsibilities) as per the constitution and existing laws. Besides, the court sought an explanation from the government about the issues following the constitution. Earlier, a vernacular daily brought to light a report with the heading ‘Spending spree to buy properties in abroad’ on Thursday. Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik drew the attention of the court in this regard. Later, the court made the observation during the hearing and set the date for the order as per the constitution. Read more: 13,931 Bangladeshis legally hold dual citizenships, passports In the report, it was said that a competition has been going on among Bangladeshis to buy houses and wealth in Canada, US, Dubai, and London.   Earlier, Singapore and Malaysia were the top in the list of choices to purchase the houses and properties by Bangladeshis. Currently, Bangladeshis are in the top position in the race to buy houses and properties compared to the developed countries. Economists said the Bangladeshis, who spent money earned illegally or illegally to buy properties and houses abroad, took the money outside the country illegally as the existing rules allow no transfer of money from the country.

President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir has said the basic rights, including to citizenship, and the creation of conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of all Rohingyas must be respected. “The safety and security of the Rohingya and other minorities must be secured,” he said while delivering his keynote speech at the Sixth Lecture of the Bangabandhu Lecture Series at Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also spoke at the programme titled “Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and the United Nations.” State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, were present. Bozkir said he firmly believes they cannot speak on these issues from afar. “The United Nations must continue to reach out to the people we serve.” Turning to the issue of human rights and humanitarian action, he commended Bangladesh for offering shelter and protection to the Rohingya fleeing persecution and unspeakable crimes in Rakhine State. READ: Memory centre launched to preserve heritage of Rohingyas Bozkir mentioned that Bangladesh stepped up at a moment of crisis to uphold the principles of the United Nations when most vulnerable neighbours endured their darkest hour. “Please allow me, on behalf of the United Nations General Assembly, to thank you. History will define your actions as heroic,” he said. Bozkir said he remains “deeply concerned” about the humanitarian implications of the military’s recent actions in Myanmar. “I join calls for an immediate end to the violence.” A year ago, he said, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to do everything possible to prevent a genocide against the Rohingya. “This order retains its urgency and should not be forgotten as we face new challenges relating to the coup and its violent aftermath,” Bozkir said. READ: Rohingya repatriation looks uncertain: Hasina tells UNGA President Earlier at the joint media briefing, the UNGA President said most probably they will have a meeting on Myanmar where they will try to find a consensus.  Personally, he said, he is completely against any military coup in the world.

The government of Myanmar should take steps to urgently restore full citizenship rights to Rohingyas, said Fortify Rights on Thursday.