Members of minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who entered India till December 31, 2024, to escape religious persecution will be allowed to stay in the country without a passport or other travel documents, according to an order of the Union Home Ministry.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which was enforced last year, states that members of these communities who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible for Indian citizenship. The new directive, issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, is expected to provide relief to many who had been living in uncertainty for years. A large number of those affected are Hindus from Pakistan who came to India after 2014 and were worried about their legal status and future.

Officials have said that these individuals will not be penalised for entering without valid travel papers or for staying on after their documents had expired. The government’s move acknowledges the continuing threat faced by such minorities in their home countries, which forced them to cross the border and seek shelter in India. Families who had no choice but to flee often found themselves stuck in limbo, unable to return and unsure about their rights in India.

The Home Ministry order clearly states, "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.