India Extends Stay Rights to Persecuted Minorities Who Entered by 2024

The Government of India has announced a landmark decision allowing persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered the country on or before December 31, 2024 to remain legally, even without valid passports or travel documents. Issued under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, the order expands the protective framework first introduced under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which previously applied only to migrants who had arrived before December 31, 2014.

This move extends relief to six communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—who fled religious persecution and sought shelter in India. By updating the cut-off date, the government has effectively broadened the scope of protection to thousands who migrated during the past decade amid worsening conditions in their countries of origin.

The government had notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 on March 11, 2024 | India Today

From CAA to the New Immigration Act

When the CAA was passed in 2019, it offered a fast-track to citizenship for non-Muslim migrants who entered India before 2014. However, critics noted that persecution of minorities in neighboring states had continued well beyond that period. The new order addresses this gap by recognizing the plight of those who sought refuge in India between 2015 and 2024, ensuring that they cannot be penalized under immigration laws for lacking proper documents.

While the decision grants legal immunity, it does not automatically confer Indian citizenship. Migrants covered under the new rule will still have to apply for naturalization through existing processes. Nevertheless, the exemption shields them from the threat of deportation or detention, offering a sense of stability after years of uncertainty.

Reactions and Regional Backlash

The announcement has been met with a mixed response. Refugee advocacy groups have welcomed the extension, calling it a long-overdue recognition of the ongoing persecution faced by minorities in South Asia. They argue that extending the deadline reflects the humanitarian ethos of India and aligns with the principles behind the original CAA.

However, opposition has been strong in Assam and other northeastern states, where local groups fear that the policy could undermine the Assam Accord of 1985, which only recognizes migrants who entered the state before March 24, 1971. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and several political outfits have staged protests, warning that the new order could alter the region’s demographic balance and threaten indigenous rights. Demonstrations have included symbolic burning of the order, signaling growing resentment in parts of the Northeast.

Broader Implications

The extension of the cut-off date carries significant political and social implications. In neighboring Bangladesh, minorities have faced sporadic waves of violence, most recently the 2024 anti-Hindu attacks, which intensified calls for India to expand its protection framework. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, systemic discrimination and targeted violence against non-Muslim communities have also fueled migration.

India’s move could therefore ease the plight of thousands who arrived in recent years, but it also places New Delhi in the middle of a sensitive debate on migration, identity, and citizenship. The ruling party has defended the decision as a humanitarian measure, while opponents accuse it of selectively applying religious criteria and disregarding regional accords.

The MGMM Outlook

India’s recent decision to extend stay rights to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered the country up to December 31, 2024, is a significant humanitarian step. This move expands the protective framework that began with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which only covered those who arrived before 2014. By recognizing Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians fleeing religious persecution, the government has addressed the urgent reality that such oppression did not stop in 2014 but has continued with intensity over the past decade. For these refugees, many of whom arrived without valid passports or documents, the order provides relief from deportation and detention, offering stability and dignity after years of uncertainty.

At the same time, the announcement has stirred debate within India, particularly in Assam and the Northeast, where concerns remain about demographic changes and the sanctity of the Assam Accord. Refugee groups and human rights advocates, however, have welcomed the extension, seeing it as an affirmation of India’s civilizational duty to shelter the persecuted. Given the continued violence against minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh—such as the anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh in 2024—India’s updated stance reflects both compassion and responsibility. While citizenship will still require due legal process, this decision sends a clear message that India will not turn away those fleeing persecution in its neighborhood.

(Sources: India Today, The Economic Times, Times of India)