Centre brings new Act into effect to curb illegal immigration; hotels, hospitals must report foreigners
India's new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, strengthens the country's fight against illegal immigration. The Act increases penalties for using forged documents, mandates reporting of foreigners by hotels and educational institutions, and grants the Bureau of Immigration expanded powers to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
New Delhi: India has implemented the new Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, to curb illegal immigration. It has come into effect with strict rules on immigration, passports, and visas.
Now, hotels, hospitals, and educational institutions will have to mandatorily report foreigners to officials. Also, the Bureau of Immigration has been vested with more powers to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
The Parliament passed the bill during the Budget session, and on April 4, it got the President's assent. On September 1, the Home Ministry notified its rules. Notably, during his speech on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of a high-powered demography mission to put an end to illegal immigration.
When the debate over the Bill was going on in the Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that while anyone can visit India for tourism, education, healthcare, and business purposes, the country is not a 'travelling inn'.
What has become stricter under the new Act?
As per the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, if any person uses a forged passport or visa to enter or stay in India, that individual will be handed a jail term of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh. Also, those supplying forged passports or travel documents will be punished.
Moreover, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, universities, and other educational institutions have to mandatorily give information about foreigners to track them during they stay in India. As per PTI, this Act gives the Centre more control over places "frequented by any foreigner" and it enables owners to refuse admission to all or a "specified class" of foreigners.
The Bureau of Immigration has been given more power, and it will work with states, Union Territories, and other agencies to identify, detain, and deport foreigners. Also, recording biometric data of foreigners is permitted under the new Act, which has been introduced by the Centre to strengthen India's fight against illegal immigrants.