“The ruling government only works for optics and sounds,” says Senior Supreme Court advocate Sanjos Ghosh, while the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, speaking about 2025 – was passed by a controversial law. Lok Sabha Thursday, March 27.
Home Nityanand Rai’s Bill introduced by the Minister of State for Nityanand Rai refers to the guidelines that foreign nationals will have to follow the punishment and follow those punishments to violate the criteria that validate their migration in India.
However, Many provisions in the bill have drawn the opposition’s IREWhich alleges that it provides the Center neutralist powers to ensure that any foreigner criticizing the government is compulsorily “kicking out”.
Does the bill provide full powers to the center?
To begin, there are already four legislations to administer foreigners entry and exit. These are:
1. Passport (Admission to India) Act, 1920
2. Foreigners Registration Act, 1939
3. Foreigners act, 1946
4. Immigration (carrier liabilities) act, 2000
The bills of immigration and foreigners, in 2025, include many existing provisions painted in these four acts, which raise questions: Why is a new bill required?
Supreme Court Senior Court advocate Sanjay Hegde said, “While the bill has been shaped as a compilation to change four existing acts, the provisions of various rules and orders under those acts have been included in an architecture of command and control.” The Quint,
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the bill is its section on national security. The law states that any foreigner who “threatened” to India’s integrity will be denied permission to enter or live in the country. However, there is a lack of clarity about what kind of danger the bill is referring to – thus it is only subject to interpretation by the Center.
“Those who pose a threat to national security will not be allowed to enter the nation. There is no nation HospiceIf someone comes to the nation to contribute to the development of the nation, he is always welcome, “Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday 27 March while arguing in favor of the bill in the Lok Sabha.
Secondly, the law states that immigration officials will have the right to arrest foreigners, including foreign nationals (OCIs) abroad, without warrant, if they are suspected of violating the immigration laws of the country.
Hegde argues that such provisions make the bureau of immigration without “all powerful” and without appealing control.
As the law currently stands up, if a person’s OCI card application is rejected, they have the right to file an amendment petition with the center within a period of 30 days or to file a review petition under Section 15 (A) of the Citizenship Act.
Similarly, if a foreign visa application is rejected, they have the right to appeal against the decision by writing to the consulate within 15-30 days, providing evidence that visa rejection is incorrect.
However, the new bill makes the decision of an immigration officer final and binding, thus taking away the right of a foreigner to appeal its decision.
Supreme Court Senior Advocate Sanjos Ghosh said, “The government does not want any legal proceedings or appeal and their goal is to cancel the OCI card or visa directly.” The Quint“Through this bill, the appeal process is compulsorily bypassed.”
In addition, speaking about the “umbrella” powers given to immigration officers to arrest, Ghosh says that the authorities already had the power to arrest the wrong foreigners under four existing laws, who deal with such issues, further highlighted whether there was any need for a new bill.
However, the government has argued that the bill was necessary to streamline existing laws and simplify them by creating a single, modern structure. Some provisions have also been added to the new law, such as revised punishment for foreigners who come to India without valid documents or which use lattice documents. The period of imprisonment and fine have also been amended to those who live beyond their visa period.
In addition, the Bill requires educational institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, et al to report to the immigration officers to report foreigners.
However, it is not clear why these provisions cannot be included in the existing four laws by introducing simple amendments in Parliament.
“This government has brought so many crimes which are repetition. Replacement of the Indian Penal Code is a case. Similarly, I think this bill is completely unnecessary,” says Ghosh.
‘PR strategy for foreign journalists as national security threat’
The bill has also been predicted to reduce the crises of foreign journalists deployed in India – many of which have faced their work permits and cancellation of OCI cards in recent times.
A French journalist, who had been living in India since 2011 and working, left the country in June last year, when the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused to renew its work permits in March, is well.2024 Lok Sabha Elections,
When his work permit was canceled, he immediately sent an answer, inquiring about the reason, but claimed that he did not get any response. The journalist then filed a review petition through his lawyer, asked for an explanation and requested the MHA to reconsider his case, but no response was received for this.
Former Persian of the OCI card holder says that he had all the necessary visas and recognized to work as a journalist in the country. He also said that he never worked in restricted or protected areas without permits, and always respected the rules imposed on foreign journalists in India.
MHA’s decision came in the background Some of his articles that can be seen as important Of the ruling establishment.
Asked if they feel that the bill of immigration and foreigners, 2025 will make matters worse for people like them, Persian, who is now living in France, said that MHA does not even need to make an excuse to remove them and others like them.
“I think the bill is a way to make weapons, to a greater extent, they want to throw out visas for all journalists and workers and brand them as ‘national security threat’. It is probably a PR strategy because the refusal of the visa is always possible without any justification,” Persianis said that without any justification is always possible. , The Quint,
Another French journalist Vanessa Dougnac claimed that he was forced to leave India in February last year after receiving notices from MHA. Dougnac stated that MHA notice accused his report to be “malicious” and “harm the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India”, “
However, on Thursday 27 March this year, he made a statement that he was allowed for one year to resume work in India.
The statement said, “The Government of India has authorized me to resume my profession as a foreign correspondent in New Delhi. I have been given a one -year work permit by the concerned authorities.”
Still another journalist claims that he was “forced” to leave IndiaAustralianBroadcast firm ABC News-A visa extension was reportedly denied.
Last month, after blocking his documentary on the murder of Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, he refused to give a visa extension. To film the documentary titled Sikh, murder and detective, the ABC crew visited Nizar’s ancestral home in Punjab in January this year and also met representatives of a Khalistan group in the state.
Diece also claimed that she is hosting a Spotify Podcast, which is titled In search of Modi– Those discovered the status of Indian democracy and the alleged efforts to incite the Center’s allegedly disagreeable voices – even the government was ignored.
“I was specifically told by Mea (Ministry of External Affairs) that I would not get my visa extension because my reporting ‘crossed a line’,” He said while talking The Quint In April last year.
