UN body support to avoid statelessness in Assam

Worried over exclusion of over 19.06 lakh people from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the United Nations Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Sunday offered support to India to avoid statelessness of such a large number of people.

In a statement emailed to DH, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Fillipo Grandi said that publication of the NRC list could render large numbers of people at the risk of becoming stateless.

"It is too early to say what the nationality status of those left off the National Register, some 1.9 million according to the authorities, may ultimately be. UNHCR is concerned, however, that many are at risk of statelessness if they do not possess another nationality," the UNHCR said, while offering support to India to determine the NRC left-outs' nationality and avoid statelessness in accordance with its mandate and international standards.

Assam drew international attention again on Saturday after a total of 19,06, 657 applicants were left out of the updated NRC after they failed to prove their Indian citizenship.

The NRC was updated with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date.

Those left out of the final list can now challenge the exclusion in foreigner tribunals and higher courts thereafter to prove their Indian citizenship.

The NRC is updated to segregate Indian citizens from illegal migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Many fears that a large number of these NRC left-outs face the threat of becoming stateless as Bangladesh is unlikely to accept them as its citizens.

"Any process that could leave large numbers of people without a nationality would be an enormous blow to global efforts to eradicate statelessness,” Grandi said.

"While India has a sovereign right and authority to establish who is an Indian national, UNHCR urges the government to take steps that mitigate the risk of any individual being left stateless as a result of the NRC update in Assam or similar processes that may take place in other states in India, and calls on the authorities to refrain from detaining or deporting anyone whose nationality has not been verified through this process," the UN agency said.