Immigration Relief for Persecuted Minorities Extended to Entrants Until December 31, 2024

Key facts

• The Centre amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order on November 4, extending immigration relief to members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024 after fleeing or fearing religious persecution.
• The exemption covers those who entered India without valid documents as well as those whose passports or travel documents have expired, but such persons must obtain an appropriate category of visa for continued stay in India.
• The new December 31, 2024 cutoff for immigration relief does not alter the Citizenship Amendment Act's December 31, 2014 cutoff for its special citizenship route, keeping citizenship and legal residence on separate tracks.
• Those who entered India between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2024 can get relief from being treated as undocumented foreigners for lacking valid passports, travel documents or visas.