New Delhi: The Union government has announced that members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, will be allowed to stay in the country even without passports or travel documents, reported the India Today.
The Home Ministry clarified that this applies to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who fled their countries to escape religious persecution.
Earlier, under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019, which was implemented through the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, only those who had arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014 were eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. With the new extension, the cut-off date has now been revised, allowing persecuted minorities arriving until the end of 2024 to remain in India legally.
Officials stated that the move is aimed at providing relief to those who sought shelter in India due to threats to their lives and faith in neighboring countries.
