Foreigners involved in anti-national acts barred; states to set up detention camps

India has enacted the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which aims to tighten passport and visa rules. The new law has also armed the Bureau of Immigration with enhanced powers to track, detain, and deport illegal migrants.

- MPOST BUREAU

While the law makes it mandatory for hotels, hospitals, and educational institutions to report foreigners to officials, it also enhances the powers of the Bureau of Immigration to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

Under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, every state government and Union territory administration will set up dedicated holding centers or detention camps to restrict the movement of foreigners until they are deported, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The MHA said every foreigner applying for any category of visa, including registration as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, shall allow his or her biometric information to be taken by the authority issuing the visa or the authority granting the registration as an OCI cardholder before the grant of such visa or registration.

It also said that in the case of illegal immigrants apprehended within India, they shall be subjected to restrictions on movement in a holding center or camp pending deportation.

The designated border-guarding forces or the Coast Guard shall take steps to prevent illegal immigrants from 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.

"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, crimes against humanity, terrorist and subversive activity, including arranging financial support, money-laundering, or hawala for such activities; trafficking in narcotics and psychotropic substances; human traf ficking including child trafficking racketeering in fake travel documents and currency (including cryptocur rency); cybercrime; child abuse; or is found involved in such offences," the MHA order said.