New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) The Government of India believes that asylum seekers, while applying for asylum to a foreign government, "denigrate" the nation and society for their personal gains, the Centre said on Thursday.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said this in a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal asked about the total number of Indians who have sought asylum in foreign countries during each of the last three years and the current year, country-wise.
He also asked whether there has been a rise between 2021 and 2023 in the number of Indians seeking asylum in the US, and if so, what steps the government had taken to address the issue of Indians seeking asylum in foreign countries.
"Accurate data regarding the number of asylum applications and the actual number of people granted asylum or the grounds on which asylum is sought or granted is not available as the foreign governments concerned cite inability to share such data due to privacy and data protection laws," Singh said.
"The Government of India believes that asylum seekers, while applying for asylum to a foreign government, denigrate the nation and society to obtain personal gains despite the fact that India, being a democratic country, provides avenues for everyone to redress their grievances lawfully," he said. PTI KND MNK MNK