Guwahati, Sep 3: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the cut – off date for entry into India for applying under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by 10 years to December 31, 2024.
The significant order, issued under the just-implemented Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, will come as a relief to a large number of people, especially Hindus from Pakistan, who crossed over to India after 2014 and were whose fate was hanging in the balance.
Members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan – 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, according to the Union Home Ministry.
“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, according to an new order issued by the Home Ministry.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act was passed by Parliament in December 2019. Originally, under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which came into force last year, members of these persecuted minorities who came to India on or before 31 December 2014 were granted Indian citizenship.
3 people in Assam granted citizenship under CAA: CM Himanta
Bogged down by the impact of the notification the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025 extending the stay for non-Muslim immigrants entering India till March 31,2024, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that only three foreigners have received citizenship of India in Assam under the CAA against 12 applications, nine of which are still under consideration.
Asserting that it is futile to discuss the CAA against the backdrop of such a low number of applications against the apprehension that lakhs of foreigners would get citizenship in Assam, Mr Sarma indicated that the latest notification of the central government would not have any impact on Assam.
