The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced stricter measures regarding the entry and stay of foreigners in India, as well as directives for states and Union Territories to establish detention centers. These actions are formalized under the recently introduced Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Under the new regulations, foreigners convicted of anti-national activities, espionage, rape, murder, crimes against humanity, terrorist and subversive activities (including financing such activities), narcotics trafficking, or being a member of a banned organization may be refused entry into India or denied the right to stay. Involvement in offenses related to fake travel documents, money laundering, hawala transactions, child abuse, and racketeering can also lead to entry refusal. The MHA has stated that India will adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards individuals involved in activities deemed anti-national or subversive. The Bureau of Immigration is tasked with maintaining a database of such individuals to prevent their entry.
The MHA has directed all state governments and Union Territory administrations to establish dedicated holding centers, also known as detention camps, to restrict the movement of foreigners pending deportation. Illegal immigrants apprehended within India will be confined to these holding centers or camps until their deportation. Designated border guarding forces and the Coast Guard are instructed to prevent illegal immigrants from entering India by sending them back and capturing their biometric and demographic data on a central government portal.
Furthermore, the new order mandates that all foreigners applying for any category of visa, including registration as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, must provide biometric information. This information will be collected by the visa-issuing authority or the authority granting OCI registration before the visa or registration is approved. This includes fingerprints, facial scans, and other data, which will be stored on a central government portal.
The MHA has also specified that foreigners seeking employment in India are prohibited from working in sensitive sectors like power supply, petroleum, or water distribution without explicit approval from civil authorities. Additional regulations have been imposed on media and mountaineering expeditions involving foreign nationals, and foreigners wishing to shoot feature films, documentaries, or web series in India will face tightened regulations.
