Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today replied to the discussion on the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. After the discussion, the House passed the Bill.

Replying to the discussion, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah spoke about the importance of the bill and said that it will strengthen the country's security and economy, pave the way to make our education system and universities global, lay a strong foundation for research and investigation in the country and make India number one in the world in every field by 2047.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that immigration is not an isolated issue but many issues of the country are directly or indirectly linked with it. He said that it is very important for the security of our country to know who are entering our borders, when are they entering, for how long will they stay and the purpose for which they are here. Shri Shah said that after the passage of this bill, a complete, systematic, integrated and up-to-date account of every foreign citizen coming to India will be maintained and through this we will be able to ensure the development of the country. He said that those who endanger the security of the country will be kept under strict surveillance and can also be monitored. He said that this bill will prove to be fulfilling all our objectives.

Shri Amit Shah said that India's track record regarding migrants has been “spotless” for thousands of years, hence there is no need for a separate refugee policy. He said that such a policy is needed by the countries which are formed by geographical boundaries, whereas India is a geo-cultural country and our boundaries have been created by our culture. He said that India has a history towards refugees. He said that it is India where the world's largest micro minority lives with utmost respect. He said that recently, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, citizens of 6 persecuted communities from neighboring countries have been given shelter under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Shri Shah said that India has always discharged its duties towards humanity and the need for a law was never felt for doing our duty. He said that our tradition and culture taught us the mantra of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and gave us its values.

Union Home Minister said that India has the largest diaspora in the world which spreads across 146 countries. He said that Indian diaspora wants to contribute to the culture, education, science and economy of the whole world. He said that today the number of Indian NRIs is about 1 crore 72 lakh and this bill has been brought to ensure smooth movement of all these people and to address their concerns.

Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our economy has moved from 11^th to 5^th position in the last 10 years and India has emerged as a bright spot in the economies of the world. He said that India is going to become a hub of manufacturing and in such a situation it is very natural for people from all over the world to come here, due to which the scale and size of our immigration has increased a lot. Shri Shah said that along with this, the number of people who take refuge and make the country unsafe for their vested interests has also increased. He said that all those who come here to contribute to the economy of India in a smooth manner according to the laws are welcome, but if any illegal person comes here to create unrest, they will be dealt with very strictly. Shri Shah said that there is strictness along with generosity in this policy and this policy has been made by keeping compassion, sensitivity in the heart and alertness towards the dangers to the country.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Modi has placed two resolutions before the 130 crore people of the country, to become the third largest economy of the world by 2027, and a fully developed nation by 2047. He said that to achieve both these goals, a system of simple, strong and contemporary laws is essential and that is why many new and historic laws have come in this House in the 10 years of Modi government. He said that works like three new criminal laws, CAA, abolition of 39,000 compliances for ease of doing business, IBC code in 2016, bank merger and ending NPA through it, and GST rollout by integrating 32 sales taxes in 2017 have been done in the 10 years. He said that the Modi government amended the UAPA law and the NIA Act and abolished Section 370 from Kashmir. He said that in these 10 years, the Modi government has done the work of strengthening every law in every sector.

Shri Amit Shah said that this bill will fulfil our dream of becoming the third largest economy and making our universities global as in the new education policy. He said that this will provide a good environment to those doing R&D in the field of research to work with a liberal mind and credibility, the dream of making the country the centre of excellence in sports across the world will be fulfilled, India will also become an international centre for mediation and arbitration. He said that this bill will create a very good environment for all these things. Shri Shah said that at present this entire system is spread under the purview of four Acts, but there is overlap among them and also there are many gaps. He said that this single bill will repeal these four Acts and bring a law which will fill all the gaps and will help in fulfilling our goal of making India a developed country by 2047 by eliminating repetition.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that a strong immigration policy will be of great importance in our goal of building a fully developed India by the year 2047. He said that this bill will make our system simple, streamlined, systematic, and secure. He said that along with this, this bill will also be transparent, track driven, time bound and reliable. Shri Shah said that this bill has been designed in the Home Ministry after three years of deep consideration on all aspects. He said that this bill should not be opposed for political reasons. Shri Shah said that under this bill, not only will a database of passengers coming to India be created, but it will also increase tourism a lot by exploiting all types of tourism potential here, which will greatly help in increasing India's global branding. He said that this will be very beneficial in increasing employment and GDP. The Home Minister said that after 75 years of independence, today India's soft power has made its mark in the whole world. He said that soft power means our Yoga, Ayurveda, Upanishads, Vedas and our organic farming system and today the whole world look up to India with hope.

Shri Amit Shah said that from the security point of view, this bill envisions ending drug cartels, illegal immigration cartels, arms and hawala trade from abroad which are weakening the country's economy. He said that along with legal provisions, punitive actions for violations have been laid. He said that the three old bills were made in the British Parliament in 1920, 1939 and 1946 before the country got independence and today our entire immigration policy is going to be made in the new Parliament of New India, which is a historic thing. Shri Shah said that such an important policy of our country which ensures the security, trade and development of the country was made in a foreign parliament. He said that the old laws were made in the chaos of the First and Second World Wars and to protect the British government. He said that this bill has been made in the first phase of Amritkaal with a vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and in the interest of India.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that there were many overlaps in the old laws which we have eliminated we have also eliminated the lack of coordination between agencies and the complexity of data management and verification. He said that clarity of jurisdiction has been brought in this bill by eliminating contradictory provisions of the old laws. He said that a single bill will eliminate the legal confusion of passengers and officials and this comprehensive law will also greatly reduce the burden of compliance. Shri Shah said that we have fulfilled the need for mandatory documents for entry, stay and exit from India. He said that we have also given powers to arrest any person violating these. Shri Shah said that powers have also been given to deport any foreigner from India. The Home Minister said that in a way, work has been done with an open mind to make provisions as per today's time. He said that there were a total of 45 sections in the old laws, but now this law will have 36 sections, 26 old and 10 new. Shri Shah said that our country is not a ‘Dharamshala’ where anyone can come and stay for any purpose. He said that if someone comes legally to spread prosperity in our country, then he is welcome, but if there is a threat our security, then our Parliament has the right to make a provision to stop him. He said that we cannot leave sensitive places and army establishments on our borders open for everyone.

Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, said that the introduction of online tourist visas began in 2010 for citizens of five countries. He mentioned that till the previous government, this facility was limited to only 10 countries, but now it has been extended to 169 countries. He stated that the government's goal is to promote tourism, but it is also important to ensure that foreign nationals stay here only for the designated period. They cannot stay permanently, nor can they become citizens of the country.

Shri Amit Shah said that the government has also introduced the 'Visa on Arrival' facility at 31 international airports and 6 major ports. In 2023, a new category called 'Ayush Visa' was also launched. Now, there will be a total of 9 categories of e-visa, which include e-Tourist Visa, e-Business Visa, e-Medical Visa, Medical Attendant Visa, e-Ayush Visa, e-Conference Visa, e-Student Visa, and e-Student Dependent Visa. He mentioned that by introducing e-visas in all these categories, the government has simplified the process for foreigners to come to India.

The Union Home Minister stated that the aim is to stop only those individuals whose intentions are not correct, and it is the right of the Government of India to make such determinations. He mentioned that the number of categories under the Ayush Visa has also been increased. To monitor illegal immigrants and those staying beyond the designated time frame, the "Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration, and Tracking" (IVFRT) system has been given a legal basis. The integration of all immigration posts with Indian Missions, Foreign Regional Registration Offices (FRRO), and Foreign Registration Offices (FRO) through an end-to-end integrated system has been completed. Shri Shah also stated that the District Police Module (DPM), known as the Foreigners Identification Portal, has been launched in over 700 districts across the country.

Shri Amit Shah stated that till 2014, there were 83 immigration posts, which have now increased to 114, marking a 37 per cent growth. The government has implemented several plans to modernize immigration posts. Previously, the average time for checking each individual at immigration checkpoints was 4-5 minutes, but now it takes hardly 1-2 minutes. He mentioned that the Fast Track Immigration - Trusted Traveller Program (FTI-TTP) has been implemented at eight major airports, where if a traveler has already filled in all the required information, the screening process is completed in just 30 seconds.

The Union Home Minister said that initially, there were 743 Integrated Check Post (ICP) counters, but now they have increased by 206 per cent to 2,278. He mentioned that during the previous government, the number of people arriving in India was 2.49 crore, whereas under the Modi government, till 2024, 4 crore people arrived in India. He added that during the previous government, 2.59 crore people left India, while under their government, the number has increased to 4.11 crore. He said that overall, the number of people coming to and leaving India was 5.08 crore before, but now it has risen to 8.12 crore, marking a 69 per cent increase. He emphasized that this is the highest growth in a single decade, and when considering all decades, this growth is more than 50 per cent in just one decade.

Shri Amit Shah said that individuals with malafide intentions will certainly be prevented from entering the country, as this is directly related to national security. He emphasized that our laws already provide authorities with the power to deny entry to foreign nationals. Authorities also have the right to allow visa holders to travel to any designated point within the country. However, the fact that authority has the power to deny entry does not mean they will act arbitrarily. The Home Minister clarified that the decision to stop someone will be made based on inputs from multiple agencies. Shri Shah mentioned that since 2014, a process has been established where, before stopping anyone, a thorough 360-degree investigation is conducted across 24 points.

Union Home Minister said that the interpretation of a damaged passport changes from time to time due to various incidents. While rules can be adjusted based on such incidents, the law itself cannot be altered. Therefore, the government has granted the authority to make rules under Section 30. Section 33 will apply to individuals who pose a threat to India's security. He further emphasized that the Indian government has the right to gather information regarding the number of foreign teachers teaching and the number of foreign students studying at a university, and this information should be provided.

Shri Amit Shah said that our border with Bangladesh is 2,216 kilometers long, of which 653 kilometers have been fenced. Roads have also been constructed near the fence, and checkpoints have been established. The length of the Sage fencing is 563 kilometers, but of this, 112 kilometers are in areas where border fencing is not possible due to streams, rivers, and uneven terrain, where fencing cannot be erected. Fencing has been completed over 450 kilometers, and for the remaining 450 kilometers, the central government has written DO letters and issued 10 reminders, but the West Bengal government is not providing the land. Shri Shah mentioned that the Union Home Secretary had held seven meetings with the Secretary of Bengal, but they are unwilling to provide the land. He added that where the fencing work is to be started, members of the ruling party come and create disturbances. He said that the main reason for halting the 453 kilometers of fencing is the West Bengal government's lenient approach towards infiltrators. Shri Shah further stated that after the 453 kilometers of fencing, 112 kilometers of the border will remain open. This 112 kilometers includes rivers, streams, and difficult geographical conditions, through which people infiltrate.

Union Home Minister said that during the previous government, illegal infiltrators used to enter through Assam, and now they enter through Bengal. Shri Shah mentioned that once his party forms the government in Bengal, the infiltration from there will also be stopped. He emphasized that the refugees who came to India during the time of independence are not considered infiltrators; they are true refugees. Those who came here to protect their religion and family are the real refugees. This is why we brought the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which does not discriminate. Shri Shah stated that Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians, and Jains—any individual from these communities who comes to India will be welcomed. However, those who come for infiltration will definitely be stopped. Citizenship will be granted only to those who suffered persecution, who endured the horrors of partition, and whose families faced atrocities. While replying to the question posed by one of the members, Shri Amit Shah said none of the DMK MPs have ever raised the issue of Tamil refugees to him.

Union Home Minister stated that this bill has been introduced to replace four existing laws. All the shortcomings in these laws have been addressed, and the overlaps have been removed. He emphasized that in today’s world, international cooperation is essential to strengthen India’s economy, education, healthcare system, research, and legal framework, and we must also contribute to global progress. The Home Minister further explained that this bill has been designed with these objectives in mind, but foremost, it has been introduced with the security of the country as the top priority.

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