Diaspora (Commonwealth Union) _ In a departure from the Aam Aadmi Party’s slogan of “Returning to the Roots,” residents of Punjab have set a record for obtaining passports, signaling a keen interest in traveling abroad for better opportunities.
According to data from the Ministry of External Affairs, a record 11.94 lakh new passports were issued to Punjab residents in 2023, marking the highest number ever issued in the state.
Punjab secured the fourth position in the country for the maximum number of passports issued last year, following Kerala, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. Given the substantial population of these states, Punjab’s achievement stands out when considering the percentage of its population obtaining passports.
With a current count of 55 lakh households in the state, the cumulative number of passports issued over the past decade stands at 81.20 lakh. Considering the requisite fee of Rs 1,500 per passport, Punjabis have contributed a substantial sum of Rs 1,218 crore towards obtaining passports. In 2023 alone, the fees paid by Punjabis for passport issuance amounted to Rs 179.10 crore.
The previous peak in passport issuance in Punjab was in 2018, with 10.69 lakh passports issued, followed by 9.46 lakh in 2019. The subsequent two years, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, witnessed a decline to 4.82 lakh in 2020 and 6.44 lakh in 2021.
Interestingly, it appears that the surge in passport applications is not solely driven by the younger demographic but also involves elderly relatives of Punjabi youths who have completed their education abroad and are now settled in foreign lands. This demographic shift signals a broader trend of families actively seeking global opportunities and connections. It reflects a changing mindset and a growing recognition of the advantages that come with embracing a more interconnected and internationally oriented lifestyle.
