{"id":149800,"date":"2019-12-16T12:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=149800"},"modified":"2019-12-23T10:59:13","modified_gmt":"2019-12-23T10:59:13","slug":"new-citizenship-law-in-india-fundamentally-discriminatory-un-human-rights-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2019\/12\/new-citizenship-law-in-india-fundamentally-discriminatory-un-human-rights-office\/","title":{"rendered":"New Citizenship Law in India \u2018Fundamentally Discriminatory\u2019: UN Human Rights Office"},"content":{"rendered":"

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13 Dec 2019 – A new law in India which\u00a0expedites citizenship for certain religious minorities has been criticized by the UN human rights office for being \u201cfundamentally discriminatory in nature.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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The amendment to the Citizenship Act gives priority to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains,\u00a0Parsis\u00a0and Christians resident in India before 2014,\u00a0but excludes\u00a0Muslims, including minority sects.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough India\u2019s broader naturalization laws remain in place, these amendments will have a discriminatory effect on people\u2019s access to nationality\u201d,\u00a0Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR<\/a>),\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0on Friday [13 Dec].<\/p>\n

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Photo of New Delhi, India. UN India<\/p><\/div>\n

India\u2019s Parliament passed the controversial law on Wednesday, which has sparked protests and clashes in several locations.<\/p>\n

Speaking to journalists in Geneva,\u00a0Mr. Laurence said it\u00a0appears to undermine India\u2019s commitment to equality before the law, as enshrined in its Constitution.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0added that last December, India joined the international community in endorsing the\u00a0Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration, which\u00a0commits countries to ensure that all measures governing migration are based in human rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll migrants, regardless of their migration status, are entitled to respect, protection and fulfilment of their human rights,\u201d\u00a0he said.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, while protecting persecuted groups is welcome, the UN human rights office said this should happen through a \u201crobust\u201d asylum system based on equality and non-discrimination, and which applies to all people regardless of race, religion, national origin or other status.<\/p>\n

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#India<\/a>: We are concerned that the new #CitizenshipAmendmentAct<\/a> is fundamentally discriminatory in nature. Goal of protecting persecuted groups is welcomed, but new law does not extend protection to Muslims, incl. minority sects: https:\/\/t.co\/ziCNTWvxc2<\/a>#FightRacism<\/a> #CABProtests<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/apWbEqpDOZ<\/a><\/p>\n

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) December 13, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n