Minority Communities From Afghanistan, Bangladesh And Pakistan Entered India Till Dec
Minority Communities From Afghanistan, Bangladesh And Pakistan Entered India Till December 31, 2024 Allowed To Stay In The Country: MHA
M.U.H
03/09/202544
New Delhi: In a major development, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who came to India till December 31, 2024, to escape religious persecution will be allowed to stay in the country without passport or other travel documents.
“A person belonging to a minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered the country on or before December 31, 2024 without valid documents, including a passport or other travel documents, or with valid documents, including a passport or other travel documents, and the validity of such documents have expired" will be exempted from the rule of possessing a valid passport and visa,” an order issued by the Home Ministry said.
The significant order, issued under the just-implemented Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, will come as a major relief to a large number of people, especially Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh, who crossed over to India after 2014 and were worried about their fate.
According to sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of section 3 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 and rules 7, 8 and 9 of the rules, the minority people coming from these three countries do not require a passport or other travel documents.
The order assumes much more significance in the case of people coming from Bangladesh, following the fact that ever since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was dethroned from power, the Hindus living in Bangladesh have had to face religious persecution.
Thousands of people were rendered homeless following severe atrocities meted out against them.
According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which came into force last year, members of these persecuted minorities who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, will be granted Indian citizenship.
