India grants relief to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh can now legally stay in India without passports if they arrived by 31 Dec 2024, under a new Home Ministry order.

New Delhi: The Home Ministry of the Government of India has issued an important order, which brings relief to minorities who have come to India due to religious persecution from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Under this order, people who have come to India till 31 December 2024, and who do not have passports or valid travel documents, will be allowed to stay in India.

Which communities will get the benefit?

This order will benefit those six religious minorities who have been victims of religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. These communities are:

• Hindus
• Sikhs
• Buddhists
• Jains
• Parsis
• Christians

All of them have now been given legal exemption to stay in India without a valid passport or visa, provided they have come to India by 31 December 2024.

How ​​are CAA and the new order connected?

Last year, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was implemented, which said that minorities who have come to India by 31 December 2014 will be given Indian citizenship. Now this new order issued under the Immigration and Foreigners (Citizenship) Act, 2025, will give relief to those who came to India after 2014 but were still in uncertainty.

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What are the rules for citizens of Nepal and Bhutan?

The government has also clarified that Nepal and Bhutan citizens will not require a passport or visa to travel to and from India if they enter through the border.

However, if a Nepali or Bhutanese citizen comes to India from China, Macau, Hong Kong, or Pakistan, he or she will have to compulsorily show a valid passport.

What are the rules for Indian citizens?

Indian citizens also do not require a passport or visa to travel to and from India from Nepal or Bhutan, but if they return to India from other countries, they will have to show a valid passport.

Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel and their family members, who are traveling through government transport on duty, will not require a passport or visa.

Big relief to minorities suffering from religious persecution

This order is a relief for thousands of people who have been living in India for years but were worried about their future due to lack of paper documents. This has not only set an example of humanity but also reflects India's sensitive and inclusive policy.