The Special Director General of Police (Border) in Assam has received instructions regarding the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. As per a directive from the Secretary to the Government of Assam, Home and Political Department, Partha Pratim Majumdar, new guidelines have been outlined for handling cases related to the Act.
Under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Rules notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (No. G.S.R. 172 (E) dated March 11, 2024), individuals from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian communities who entered India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible for Indian citizenship.
According to the directive, the border police are advised not to forward cases of eligible individuals from these communities, who entered India before the specified date, directly to the Foreigners Tribunals. Instead, these individuals should be encouraged to apply for citizenship through the portal https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in. Their applications will be assessed by the Government of India based on the facts and circumstances of each case. A separate register will be maintained for this category of individuals.
However, the directive specifies that this differential treatment will not apply to individuals who entered Assam from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan after December 31, 2014, regardless of their religion. These individuals will be forwarded directly to the jurisdictional Foreigners Tribunal for further action once detected.
The instructions were signed by Partha Pratim Majumdar and dated July 5, 2024. This move is part of ongoing efforts to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, effectively and ensure proper processing of citizenship applications as per the new guidelines.
