Jun 28, Kathmandu - The ‘Nepal Citizenship (Second) Bill, 2082’ has been passed by a majority in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives. In today’s meeting, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak had presented a proposal to pass the bill. Earlier today, Home Minister Lekhak had presented a proposal to ‘discuss the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill, 2081 along with the report of the State Administration and Good Governance Committee’.

Presenting the proposal, Home Minister Lekhak said that the bill guarantees the provision of citizenship in the mother's name for children born to Nepali citizens. He said that women who have gone for foreign employment will give birth to children abroad, but such children will not be left without citizenship when they return to Nepal.

The bill provides that a person born abroad to a Nepali citizen mother and residing in Nepal, who has not acquired a foreign citizenship or passport, and whose father is unknown, may obtain naturalized Nepali citizenship if he/she declares himself/herself as prescribed. Similarly, the bill provides that a minor identity card can be issued to a minor who has not completed 16 years of age and at least one of the parents is a Nepali citizen.

During the discussion on the bill, MP Prakash Jwala expressed his belief that once the bill is passed and implemented, the path to obtaining citizenship in the mother's name will be opened. MP Jwala said that this bill is important to make legal provisions so that genuine Nepali citizens are not deprived of obtaining citizenship and non-citizens cannot obtain citizenship under any circumstances.

MP Jwala Kumari Sah said that this law is necessary to make provisions related to citizenship in a way that does not affect national security, unity and sovereignty. Similarly, in cases where a Nepali woman is married to a foreign citizen, the children born to such parents want to obtain Nepali citizenship in the mother's name, she said, the situation of such citizens no longer being stateless will be eliminated.

MP Prem Suwal said that citizens of the border areas have always faced problems related to citizenship and said that a clear provision should be brought in this regard through a bill. He opined that although the system of granting citizenship in the mother's name is good, it is necessary to search for the father.

MP Ramkrishna Yadav expressed confidence that the current problems related to citizenship will be resolved once this bill is passed and implemented. Stating that there are many problems related to citizenship in the Terai districts, he said that people without citizenship are deprived of the services and facilities they should receive from the state. MP Yadav said that the provisions made in this bill will solve the problems of such people.

MP Ranju Kumari Jha said that this bill has been brought to implement the precedent of the Supreme Court's order that citizenship can be granted in the name of the mother.

MP Chitra Bahadur KC expressed concern that although there has been much discussion and debate in the House on the issue of citizenship, this bill will not be able to resolve the disputes and problems related to citizenship due to the open border with India.

MPs Rupa Soshi Chaudhary, Sher Bahadur Kunwar, Madhav Sapkota, Muktakumari Yadav, Narayani Sharma, Purna Bahadur Gharti, Bhagwati Chaudhary, Amritlal Rajbanshi, Kantika Sejuwal, Sushila Theeng, Amrita Devi Agrahari, among others, expressed their views on the bill.

The next meeting of the House of Representatives will be held tomorrow at 1 pm.