Hindus, Sikhs, Christians And Other Persecuted Minorities From Afghanistan, Pakistan And Bangladesh Get Extended Citizenship Window

In a significant move, the Indian government has extended the cut-off date for eligibility under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by a full ten years.

A official notification issued on 1 September by the Ministry of Home Affairs now permits Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India due to religious persecution up until the 31 December 2024 to apply for citizenship.

"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 order issued by the Home Ministry.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which passed the law back in December 2019, had fast-tracked the citizenship process for these minorities fleeing religious persecution in these three neighbouring nations with a cut-off date of 31 December 2014.

The legislation has, however, been a lightning rod for controversy and widespread protests.

The notification clarifies that such individuals, who entered illegally, will be shielded from punishment under The Foreigners Act and can instead seek naturalisation.

To be eligible, applicants must show they have resided in India for at least one year immediately prior to their application and for at least five of the preceding fourteen years.

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 worried about their fate.

The extension of the deadline also arrives amidst a politically charged atmosphere, including an ongoing special revision of voter lists in Bihar.

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