SYDNEY: Three thousand two hundred and ninety-four Nepalis became Australian citizens last year while many more prepare to make their citizenship pledge this Australia Day.
Similarly, Nepalis, Indians, Sri Lankans, and Pakistanis were among the top 10 nationalities in 2018-19 to receive Australian citizenship by conferral.
Last year, the Department of Home Affairs conferred Australian citizenship to 28470 Indian, 4861 Sri Lankan, 3360 Pakistani and 3294 Nepalis people.
With more than twice the number of UK citizens (13,364), Indians topped the list of people to receive citizenship by conferral in 2018-19.
Last year, over a hundred thousand people from diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds gave up their erstwhile nationality to officially embrace this nation as their home. Many of these could have been people facing persecution in their countries of origin while many others would have emigrated to this land of opportunities to ensure their future generations were part of the great “Advance Australia Fair”.
According to the Department, 127,674 people from at least 200 different countries became Australian citizens by conferral in 2018-19, southasia.com.au reported.
Last year’s figure is a far cry from the 2,493 people representing 35 different nations who were granted Australian citizenship in 1949. Those two thousand odd people were the first lot of migrants to be conferred with Australian citizenship following the introduction of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948.
More than 5 million people have become Australian citizens since the Act came into force, the Department of Home Affairs statistics show.
Those who wish to become Australian citizens, and have received a formal invitation from the government to attend a citizenship ceremony, must do so without fail.
“You will not become an Australian citizen until you have attended your ceremony and made the pledge,” the Department warns. Those who miss their designated citizenship ceremony will automatically receive another invitation either from the local council or from the Department of Home Affairs.
Moreover, the Department of Home Affairs may review and cancel your approval if you do not attend a citizenship ceremony within 12 months of your citizenship application being approved. However, the government “might make an exception if you have an acceptable reason for not attending within that time”.
Comment