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Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 introduced in LS
Mar-11-2025

The Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha (LS), aiming to modernize and consolidate India’s immigration laws. 

The bill was tabled by the Union Home Minister of State Nityanand Rai. While introducing the bill, Nityanand Rai said, ‘We are not bringing this law to stop anyone from coming to India. More people are welcome in India, but they must adhere to the immigration law. The provisions of the law are important for national security’. He further added, ‘since India is growing economically, government is committed and providing facilities to ensure more tourists come here. But it is also the government’s responsibility to prioritise the security of the country’. Rai also clarified that this provision is currently also available in the system but through an order and now being included in the act.

This Bill gives the Government certain powers to provide for the requirement of passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering into and exiting from India and for regulating matters related to foreigners, including the requirement of visa and registration and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The new bill puts the onus on educational and medical institutions, including hospitals and universities, as well as owners of private residences to inform the authorities about foreigners staying in their facility. The new law obligates the carriers such as airlines and vessels to remove a passenger denied entry by the immigration officer and provide passenger and crew data to the authorities in advance. It carries a provision of up to ₹5 lakh in fine for violating carriers.

While the opposition party opposed the bill and said that the bill violates ‘multiple fundamental rights’ under the Constitution of India. The new bill, once passed, will replace colonial-era laws, including the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000. According to the latest government data, a total of 9,840,321 foreigners visited India between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.


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