Persecuted Hindus, other minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan who entered India up to 2024 to be allowed to stay

New Delhi: Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India till 31 December, 2024 to escape religious persecution will be allowed to stay in the country without passport or valid travel documents, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a new order.

The provision was notified by the MHA on Monday through the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025. Earlier through the Citizenship (Amendment) Ac, members of these persecuted minorities who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, will be granted Indian citizenship.

According to the order, a minority community member from these countries who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered the country on or before 31 December, 2024 without valid documents, including a passport or other travel documents, or with valid documents and the validity of such documents have expired" will be allowed to stay in the country.

The order also provided exemptions for Indians coming from Nepal and Bhutan as well as those belonging to Nepal and Bhutan entering India.

The MHA has also issued Immigration and Foreigners Rules 2025 and Immigration and Foreigners Order 2025 to deal with related issues.

It has inserted a provision for collecting the biometric information of all foreigners who apply for a visa or seeking registration as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder. They will have to allow their biometric information to be taken by the authority before the grant of such visa or registration as OCI cardholder

Another provision said a person who is identified as a foreigner or considered to be a foreigner while in India shall allow his biometric information to be taken.

The MHA also said, “a foreigner may be refused entry into or stay in India on the following grounds, namely -- if he is convicted on charges of anti-national activities, espionage, rape and murder, crime against humanity, terrorist and subversive activity, including arranging financial support or money-laundering or hawala for such activities, trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances, human trafficking including child trafficking, racketeering in fake travel documents and currency (including cryptocurrency), cyber crime, child abuse or found involved in such offences.”

The new provisions also barred foreigners with a valid visa for taking up employment in power or water or in the petroleum sector without the permission of the civil authority.

"A foreigner shall produce, or attempt to produce, or cause to be produced, feature film, documentary film, reality television and web shows or series, commercial television serials or shows and web shows or series or any other mode or medium as may be specified by the central government from time to time, intended for public exhibition, only with the permission in writing, and subject to specific conditions," the MHA said.