No stay for foreigners convicted of terror, espionage, heinous crimes: MHA
India's restricted areas include the entire States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, parts of Jammu & Kashmir among others.
New Delhi, Sept 3: Foreigners may be refused entry into or stay in India if they are convicted on charges of anti-national activities, espionage, rape and murder, terrorist acts, child trafficking or being a member of at banned organisation, according to an official order.
Every foreigner shall be required to obtain a permit to enter into or stay in any protected or restricted area. However, anyone having their origin in Afghanistan, China, or Pakistan will not be allowed to visit such restricted areas, it said.
India's restricted areas include the entire States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan, among others.
Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, introduced recently, every State government and Union Territory administration will set up dedicated holding centres or detention camps for the purpose of restricting the movement of foreigners till they are deported, the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
The Home Ministry said every foreigner applying for any category of visa, including registration as an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder, shall allow his or her biometric information to be taken by the authority issuing the visa or the authority granting the registration as OCI cardholder before the grant of such visa or registration as OCI cardholder.
It also said that in case of illegal immigrants apprehended within India, they shall be imposed with restrictions on movement in a holding centre or camp pending deportation.
"A foreigner may be refused entry into or stay in India on the following grounds, namely if he is convicted on charges of anti- national activities, espionage, rape and murder, crime against humanity, terrorist and subversive activity, including arranging financial support or money-laundering or hawala for such activities. Trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances, human trafficking including child trafficking, racketeering in fake travel documents and currency (including cryptocurrency), cyber crime, child abuse or found involved in such offences," the MHA order said.
The Bureau of Immigration will maintain an updated list of foreigners whose entry into India will be prohibited.
PTI