The government has started granting Nepali citizenship to non-resident Nepalis (NRNs). As part of this initiative, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal provided NRN citizenship certificates to President of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Kul Acharya and Executive President Badri KC amidst a function organized at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday.
The District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu had issued an NRN citizenship certificate in KC’s name on Monday, while DAO, Parbat had issued the certificate in Acharya’s name on Sunday.
The issuance of citizenship papers to NRNs is in line with Article 14 of the Constitution of Nepal which states, “The non-residential citizenship of Nepal may be so granted to a person who has acquired the citizenship of a foreign country, has resided in a country other than a member-state of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and who or whose father or mother, grandfather or grandmother was previously a citizen of Nepal by descent or birth but subsequently acquired the citizenship of the foreign country that such person may enjoy economic, social and cultural rights in accordance with the Federal law.”
The government had amended the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063, to provide Nepali citizenship to NRNs for the protection of their economic, social and cultural rights.
Per the amended Act, those who have NRN citizenship cannot participate in politics, hold government positions and vote. But they can do business and also own property in Nepal.
The NRN citizenship can be revoked if the person acquiring the citizenship is found to have acted against the independence, sovereignty, geographical integrity and national interest.
Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dinesh Bhattarai, informed that the government has made arrangements to distribute NRN citizenship certificates from all 77 districts. This means NRNs can apply for such certificates from today itself. NRNA had been demanding citizenship certificates for NRNs for a long time.
After receiving the citizenship, KC thanked the government and lauded the initiative themed “Once a Nepali, forever a Nepali”.
“Citizenship is not just a paper. It’s a responsibility. The Nepalis living abroad should also contribute to the motherland’s prosperity,” KC stressed.
Stating that the Nepali diasporas have played significant roles in the development of several countries, Acharya mentioned that citizenship has connected people residing abroad with the motherland.
Prime Minister Dahal said that granting citizenship to non-resident Nepalis is a great achievement, reminding that it had become possible after much struggle and effort.
Dahal recalled that he had tried quite hard to include provisions on granting citizenship to NRNs with economic and cultural rights in the Constitution of Nepal, adding that the President, as requested by his government, had authenticated the Citizenship Bill. “I believe that millions of non-resident Nepalis now well understand as to whose struggle and initiative has made all this (granting of NRN citizenship) possible,” he said, asking the Nepali community living abroad to spread the word.
Meanwhile, President Ramchandra Paudel has expressed confidence that the provision on granting citizenship to Non-Resident Nepalis will bring them closer to Nepal.
