The Union government yesterday introduced the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, to consolidate existing immigration laws and introduce provisions to deny entry to foreigners deemed a “threat to national security.”
Tabling the bill, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said its objective was not to prevent anyone from coming to India but to ensure national security and sovereignty.
“Tourists are welcome, but it is the government’s responsibility to maintain peace and sovereignty,” Rai said, dismissing concerns over the legislative competence to enact the law.
He asserted that the Centre has the necessary authority under the Union List to legislate on immigration matters.
Before introducing the Bill, Rai said the proposed law seeks to correct overlapping and duplicate provisions in prevailing laws governing immigration and foreigners in the country.
He said that the Bill was aimed to confer upon the Central government certain powers to provide for requirement of passports or other travel documents in respect of persons entering into and exiting from India and for regulating matters related to foreigners, including requirement of visa and registration and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Rai said that at present it is mandatory for every hospital and medical institution to inform about the foreigners and that information helps in regulating the stay of foreigners in the country and their departure as well. “At present this provision is through an order. Government is bringing that in the main Act,” the Minister said.
On the necessity of Bill, Rai mentioned the existing four Acts — the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920; the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939; the Foreigners Act, 1946; and the Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000, and said that three of these Acts are of pre-Constitution period. “The (Narendra) Modi government is reviewing the pre-Constitution period Bill and this Bill is a step in that direction,” Rai said.
The role of universities, hospitals, and other medical institutions admitting foreign nationals will be specified, along with matters related to passports and visas, when the Bill comes into effect.