The Union Home Ministry has issued fresh orders under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, providing relief to minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The directive allows Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, without valid passports or whose documents have expired, to remain in the country legally.
The order, which came into effect on Monday, expands the scope of protection compared to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, which applied only to those who had arrived before December 31, 2014, and offered eligibility for citizenship. While the new rules do not guarantee citizenship, they address the concerns of thousands, especially Hindus from Pakistan who migrated after 2014 and faced uncertainty about their future.
The ministry clarified that the exemption applies only to stay and not to the acquisition of nationality. It also reiterated that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, as well as Indians entering from these two countries, do not require passports or visas. Similarly, members of the Indian armed forces travelling on official duty, along with their families, are exempt when using government transport.
Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 marks one of the most significant reforms to India’s immigration system in recent decades. Replacing several older laws, the new legislation sets out a comprehensive framework to regulate the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners in the country.
A key feature of the Act is the creation of new immigration authorities and a centralized digital platform to streamline visa processing, track the movement of foreign nationals, and ensure compliance with registration requirements. Foreigners staying in India for more than 180 days will now be required to register through this system, enabling closer monitoring and greater transparency.
What Does it Replace?
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 marks a complete revamp of India’s immigration framework, consolidating multiple decades-old legislations into a single law. It repeals four existing statutes the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000 to create a unified system for regulating the entry, stay, and exit of foreigners in the country.
