Pakistanis in India primarily consist of Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs who seek permanent settlement in the Republic of India via Indian citizenship.[6] Others include MuslimPakistani nationals who desire Indian citizenship or seek to work in the Indian Republic as expatriates.[7] In December 2015, Anglo–Pakistani singer Adnan Sami became a naturalized Indian citizen after living in India on an extended visitor visa since 2001.[8] The state of Maharashtra has witnessed a six-fold increase in applications for Indian citizenship from Pakistani nationals following the relaxation and simplification of immigration rules in December 2017. The primary purpose of these applications was a result of cross-border marriages, which have resulted in spouses waiting for citizenship for close to a decade.[9]
Additionally, there are also an estimated 761 Pakistani nationals imprisoned within Indian jails, most of them serving their terms on charges of espionage and terror-related crimes.[10]
There are an extensive number of Pakistanis illegally overstaying in India. In 2017, 250 illegal Pakistani immigrants were deported from India.[11]
According to a report in the Pakistani newspaper DAWN, over 5,000 Pakistani Hindus migrate to India annually as refugees.[12]
