A very relieving news has come from the Central Government for the refugees and foreign citizens living in India for a long time. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a Gazette Notification implementing the 'Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) (Amendment) Order, 2026'. Under this new order, several specific categories of foreign nationals living in India, including certain Pakistani nationals, minority refugees from neighboring countries, Sri Lankan Tamils, Tibetans and people of Indian origin, have been given major exemptions from strict passport and visa conditions. This humanitarian step of the government will bring administrative stability in the lives of thousands of people who were facing legal uncertainty for decades due to lack of valid documents or complexities of renewal. What are the new rules for Pakistani citizens and minority refugees? Under the new amendments issued by the Home Ministry, special relaxation in passport and visa rules has been given to those refugees and citizens of Pakistan who came to India with the intention of permanently settling on or before December 31, 2009. Additionally, religious minorities (such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who have entered India till December 31, 2024, have also been exempted. However, some strict conditions have been set for Pakistani citizens. If the applicant is unable to renew the Pakistani travel document because he does not have the National Identity Card (CNIC) of his country, he will be allowed to stay in India. Along with this, there should not be any adverse report from security agencies against the candidate and he will have to take an oath that he will never return to Pakistan. Sri Lankan Tamil, Tibetan and people of Indian origin got legal protection cover. This order of the Central Government is not limited only to Pakistani citizens, but it also includes other immigrants living in India for decades. Major relief has also been given to Sri Lankan Tamils, Tibetan refugees living in camps in Tamil Nadu and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) returning from Malaysia or Singapore, who had come to India before December 31, 2009 with their old or expired passports and could not renew them. The process of obtaining appropriate visa category for all these foreign nationals to maintain their validity in India has been simplified. Additionally, a provision has also been made to relax passport norms for crew members of foreign military ships visiting Indian ports for repair purposes on the basis of special 'Military Ship Repair Permit'. Strict adherence to security standards and new instructions on Nepal-Bhutan transit. On one hand, the government has given exemption to various categories of refugees on humanitarian grounds, while on the other hand, rules regarding national security have been made more strict. The Home Ministry has clarified that transparency has been maintained in the travel rules for citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan. If citizens of Nepal or Bhutan enter or transit through China, Hong Kong, Macau or Pakistan, it will be mandatory for them to have a valid passport and Indian visa. This balanced move by the Central Government maintains international security standards as well as protects the human rights of those who have called India their home for a long time.
