The Indian government has decided to allow minority refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan to stay in the country even after expiry of their visas.
A statement issued by the Home Ministry of India said this on Monday, reports The Indian Express.
“The central government decided, on humanitarian considerations, to exempt Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals belonging to minority communities who have entered India on or before December 31, 2014, in respect of their entry and stay in India without proper documents or after the expiry of relevant documents,” said the report.
According to the statement, the decision has been taken under Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and Foreigners Act, 1946.
The government also issued two notifications in the Official Gazette Monday under Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and Foreigners Act, 1946, adds the report.
The issue of regularisation of entry and stay of such Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals in India has been under consideration of the central government, the statement said.
The report claimed that there has been no exact numbers of minority refugees from these countries but officials put the figure of around two lakh Hindu and Sikh refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan living in India.
Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi government came to power in May last year, several steps including issuance of Long Term Visa (LTV) for these refugees have been initiated, it said.
There are 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements in cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jaipur. Hindu refugees from Bangladesh mostly live in West Bengal and northeastern States, added the report.
