The Union Home Ministry has issued an order allowing Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, to stay in the country without a passport or other travel documents. The order comes under the newly enforced Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Officials clarified that the order does not confer citizenship, but offers temporary legal stay to those who fled religious persecution. Previously, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) applied only to those who arrived on or before December 31, 2014.
The ministry also reiterated that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, as well as Indians entering from these two countries, do not require passports or visas, and members of India’s armed forces and their families traveling on official duty are similarly exempt.
The measure is seen as a relief for minority communities, particularly Hindus from Pakistan, who crossed into India after 2014 and faced uncertainty about their legal status.
