The Lok Sabha today passed the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025
The Lok Sabha today passed the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 after a discussion on the proposed law that will modernise and consolidate India's immigration laws. Junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai introduced the bill on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Toward the end of a three-hour-long discussion on the bill, Mr Shah said India welcomes those who come here to help in development, but those who come to create trouble, whether Rohingya or Bangladeshis, will face strong action.
"The bill will also help in identifying those who come here with bad intentions," Mr Shah said before the Lok Sabha cleared the bill.
The bill, once it becomes an Act, will help in tackling illegal immigration into India and facilitate tracking of movement of foreigners who overstay, Mr Shah said.
Mr Shah cited Indians who went abroad and left a huge positive impact in the countries they settled in, and called for a legal framework for India as well to ensure those who come to India for good work and contributing to the nation's development feel welcomed.
"This is very important. The main issue is that immigration is not an isolated subject, but is directly or indirectly linked to various issues. The bill will ensure a close monitoring of everyone who visits India, why they visit India, and how long they want to stay. It is absolutely necessary to know the details of every foreigner visiting India," Mr Shah said after over a three-hour-long debate.
"From a security point of view, this law will fight against drug cartels, infiltrators, arms smugglers, and those who want to destroy India's economy from within," the Union Home Minister said.
The proposed law empowers the central government to exert control over places that are "frequented by any foreigner" and order the owners to close the premises, allow its use under specified conditions, or refuse admission to all or a "specified class" of foreigners.
Matters linked to foreigners and immigration are presently administered through four laws - Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act, 2000. All these laws are now proposed to be repealed.
While the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 consists of several existing provisions in the four laws proposed to be repealed after simplification and harmonisation, it also has certain new provisions to meet today's requirements.
It seeks to balance the requirements of national security and related issues of immigration with the need to promote economic growth and tourism.
The proposed law, however, is not connected with matters related to giving citizenship.
