NEW DELHI: As many as 21,408 foreigners were granted Indian citizenship in the last 10 years since 2010, the home ministry told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.In reply to a written question, junior home minister Nityanand Rai said that 19,008 foreigners were granted citizenship between 2015 and 2019, with the biggest batch comprising 14,864 Bangladeshis who were given Indian citizenship under Section 7 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (citizenship by incorporation of territory) following signing of the Indo-Bangladesh land boundary agreement.Under this agreement reached in 2015, 53 enclaves of Bangladesh were included in Indian territory.In comparison, 2,400 foreigners were conferred citizenship of India between 2010 and 2014.Rai further informed the LS that, as reported by the Bureau of Immigration , 445 Bangladeshi immigrants were deported in 2018, 51 in 2017 and 308 in 2016.As per the data put out by the home ministry, 987 foreigners were granted citizenship in 2019, 628 in 2018, 817 in 2017, 1,106 in 2016, 15,470 in 2015, 617 in 2014, 563 in 2013, 553 in 2012, 425 in 2011 and 232 in 2010. Rai said the records of persons granted citizenship by registration or by naturalisation are not maintained religion-wise.