The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, introduced the Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha today, aiming to modernize and streamline India’s immigration laws. Rai presented the bill on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, proposing new regulations around entry, exit, and registration of foreigners in India.
“The bill seeks to establish requirements for passports and travel documents, grant specific powers to the Central Government, and regulate visa and registration processes for foreigners,” Rai said while introducing the legislation.
The proposed bill quickly faced opposition from several members of the opposition. Congress MP Manish Tewari strongly criticized the bill, arguing that it violates multiple fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution. “This bill is a breach of constitutional principles and legislative competence,” Tewari said, invoking Rule 72 of the Lok Sabha’s rules of business.
TMC MP Sougata Roy also opposed the bill, stating that existing laws already cover matters related to the entry and exit of foreigners. “There are already four bills addressing these issues. Introducing another one is unnecessary,” Roy argued.
The Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025 seeks to empower the Central Government with the authority to mandate passports or other travel documents, enforce visa and registration requirements, and manage issues related to foreigners’ entry and exit.
The second part of Parliament’s budget session began on Monday and is scheduled to continue until April 4, with this contentious bill expected to spark further heated debates in the coming days.
