The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Sunday urged India to ensure action is taken to prevent a nearly two million people from being left stateless on account of their exclusion from the National Register of Citizens.
In a statement issued in Geneva, Grandi said, "Any process that could leave large numbers of people without a nationality would be an enormous blow to global efforts to eradicate statelessness."
He added, “I appeal to India to ensure that no one is rendered stateless by this action, including by ensuring adequate access to information, legal aid, and legal recourse in accordance with the highest standards of due process.”
The updated final NRC list has excluded 1.9 lakh people. According to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, those excluded will be given a chance to 'prove' their citizenship.
About 31.1 million people were included on the list, according to a statement Saturday from Assam's government, leaving out 1.9 million. Out of 3.3 crore applicants, 3.1 crore had their names included in the list.
The UNHCR had written two reports criticizing the government process of setting up the NRC, which in its earlier list had excluded 40 lakh people.
in December of 2018 and in July of 2019 respectively. In addition, during talks with India's Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, Bangladesh government officials sought reassurance that India would not resort to mass deportations to Bangladesh.
Those whose names have been excluded will have 120 days to file an appeal with the Foreigners Tribunal, according to Sonowal.
