Big decision of the central government, people coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be allowed to stay in India till 2024

The Union Home Ministry has said that members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan till December 31, 2024 to escape religious persecution will be allowed to stay in the country even without passport or other travel documents.

The government has given this relief to the refugees under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (13 of 2025). According to this law, these persecuted minorities who came to India on or before 31 December 2024 will be granted Indian citizenship. This important order will provide relief to a large number of people, especially those Hindus from Pakistan, who came to India after 2014 and were worried about their future.

What was said in the order?

According to the gazette notification issued by the Home Ministry, 'Minority communities of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan - Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who were forced to take refuge in India due to religious persecution or fear of it and entered the country without valid documents on or before 31 December 2024, will be exempted from the rule of having a valid passport and visa.'

What are the rules for citizens of Nepal and Bhutan?

The order makes it clear that citizens of Nepal and Bhutan will not need a passport and visa to travel to or stay in India, provided they enter India through the border route. This arrangement will continue as before. However, if a Nepali or Bhutanese citizen comes to India from China, Macau, Hong Kong or Pakistan, it will be mandatory for him to have a valid passport.

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Similarly, Indian citizens also do not need a passport or visa to travel to and from India through Nepal or Bhutan border, but if they return to India from any country other than Nepal or Bhutan (except China, Macau, Hong Kong and Pakistan), they will have to show a valid passport. At the same time, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, who are entering or leaving India on duty, and their family members (if they are traveling with government transport) will not need a passport or visa.