New Delhi: The Centre has brought about new rules that will allow refusal of entry or stay in India to foreigners if they are convicted on charges of anti-national activities, espionage, rape and murder, terrorist acts, child trafficking or being a member of a banned organisation.
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 that came into effect recently, mandates that 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 (MHA) has said.
The MHA has now made it clear that 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.
The order also says that in the case of illegal immigrants apprehended within India, they shall be imposed with restrictions on movement in a holding centre or camp pending deportation.
The designated border guarding forces or the Coast Guard shall take steps to prevent illegal immigrants attempting to enter India by sending them back after capturing their biometric information and available demographic details on the designated portal of the central government, the order further states.
“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,” it states.
“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,” it further clarifies.
The new rules have also imposed sanctions on foreign nationals with work permits. No foreigner who has a valid visa for taking up employment in India shall, without the permission of the civil authority, accept employment in an undertaking in the private sector engaged in the supply of power or water or in the petroleum sector, the order says.
“A foreigner shall produce, or attempt to produce, or cause to be produced, feature film, documentary film, reality television and web shows or series, commercial television serials or shows and web shows or series or any other mode or medium as may be specified by the central government from time to time, intended for public exhibition, only with the permission in writing, and subject to specific conditions,” the order maintains.
Restrictions have also been imposed on mountaineering expeditions. The MHA has said no foreigner or group of foreigners shall climb or attempt to climb any mountain peak in India without obtaining prior permission in writing from the central government and without specifying of route to be followed, the attachment of a liaison officer and the use of photographic and wireless communication equipment.
Every foreigner shall also 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 are barred from entering such restricted areas, the rules say.
The restricted areas include the entire states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan, among others.
The Bureau of Immigration will maintain an updated list of foreigners whose entry into India will be prohibited.
A seaman or aircraft crew, if a foreign national, shall require a landing permit or a shore leave pass for entry into India, if he is not in possession of a valid Indian visa.
The MHA has also said that people may be refused permission to leave the country if their presence is required in India by any court, if they are suffering from diseases which are danger to public health or safety, if their exit may adversely affect relations with a foreign state or if they cannot be allowed to depart or exit from India either under specific orders of the central government or by an order issued by any law enforcement authorities or other designated government agencies.
The Bureau of Immigration shall maintain an updated list of persons who shall not be granted permission to depart from India.