Acharya Urges Government to Simplify NRN Citizenship and Card Process

London - Kul Acharya, former president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA ICC), has sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Sushila Karki demanding the effective implementation of NRN citizenship and the simplification of the NRN card distribution process.

In the memorandum sent through the Nepali Embassy in London, Acharya stated that while the Constitution of Nepal 2072 provided for Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) citizenship in recognition of the contributions of the global diaspora, the citizenship has yet to be implemented because necessary laws have not been enacted even two and a half years after distribution began. 

"This citizenship has become a mere piece of paper unrecognized by the Land Revenue Office or Immigration. Because of this, Nepal is incurring significant losses every day," he said.

He also mentioned that the distribution process for the Non-Resident Nepali Identity Card (NRN Card) provided by the Government of Nepal has become more cumbersome following recent directives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Mandatory provisions, such as submitting proof of renouncing Nepali citizenship when applying for an NRN card through Nepali embassies abroad, have made the process much more complicated than in the past. 

As someone who previously obtained an NRN card easily and was the first person to receive NRN citizenship on Ashoj 28, 2080 B.S, I humbly request that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be directed to end this tedious process and make it accessible. I request that making the NRN citizenship and NRN card systems easier while the country is heading toward elections would send an extremely positive message to the global Non-Resident Nepali community," Acharya stated in the memorandum.

The memorandum, which was also copied to Foreign Minister Balananda Sharma, added: "Our neighboring South Asian countries view their diaspora as a resource. It has become necessary to study the diaspora policies of those countries and revise Nepal's policy accordingly. 

Therefore, I urge you to provide an opportunity for millions of Non-Resident Nepalis—who are always ready to serve the motherland during times like the Great Earthquake or the COVID pandemic—to connect with Nepal by promptly implementing the constitutionally-granted NRN citizenship and simplifying the NRN card process."

Upon receiving the memorandum at the Nepali Embassy in London on Friday, Nepal’s Charge d’Affaires to the UK, Bipin Duwadi, stated that the document would be sent to the Government of Nepal as soon as possible. He also expressed gratitude for the support the NRN community has provided for the benefit of Nepal and its people.