SARLAHI, JUNE 2

Authentication of Citizenship Bill on Wednesday by President Ramchandra Paudel has not only allowed children of Nepalis citizens by birth and children of Nepali mothers whose fathers have not been identified to obtain Nepali citizenship but has also opened doors for youths seeking foreign employment.

Many people are interested to know when the distribution of citizenship will start according to the provision in the law that is going to come almost eight years after the promulgation of the constitution.

However, youths in the districts of Tarai are queuing up in the ward chairperson's office for recommendations and approval. They are trying to get citizenship and passport as soon as possible so that they can leave the country.

Many teenagers are visiting their ward offices to acquire citizenship. They are doubtful the citizenship law might change at any time.'

A large number of youths are trying to get this legal document so that they can start the process of being employed abroad.

Youths used to complain that they were deprived of opportunity but now were happy as they would now be able to earn their livelihood abroad.

According to locals, Dalits and marginalised communities are the major victims of this problem.

Rahman Miya from Sarlahi said, 'Especially, Dalits in my village are facing this issue as ward offices are not doing the required work. Girls and married women are also facing same kind of issue in relation to citizenship.' He also said, 'Most of the youths from age 18 to 25 are facing this problem as they want to make the necessary documents and leave country to earn money.'

Likewise, Shivnath Sah, 24, from Barahathawa Municipality, Sarlahi, said, 'Most of the youths were deprived of being legal citizens and could not contribute to the nation development. Now, we have got chance to do that.'

He further said, 'I wanted to continue studies, but couldn't do so due to lack of citizenship.

However, I am going to use this opportunity to go abroad and earn my living there.'

According to Raju Mahato from Sarlahi, many Madhesi youths were deprived of their basic rights due to lack of law.

The new law, which was published in the gazette, says non-resident Nepalis will also get Nepali citizenship with economic, social and cultural rights.

The new amendment to the Citizenship Act has also provided non-resident Nepali citizenship as provisioned in the constitution.

Section 7A of the Act states, 'A person who has obtained citizenship of a foreign country and resides in a country other than SAARC member countries and who has acquired the citizenship of a foreign country and his or her father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, was a citizen of Nepal on the basis of descent or birth in the past, is a Non-resident Nepali, who can get Nepali citizenship enabling him/her to enjoy economic, social and cultural rights.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 3, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.