Expedite visas for persecuted Hindus: MHA

In an important move aimed at providing more facilities to minority communities coming to Indian in the wake of religious persecution in their country, Union home minister Rajnath Singh has directed MHA officials to ensure that all pending cases of citizenship and long-term visa for such communities should be cleared by August 15 this year. The home minister on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review facilities granted to minority communities from the neighbouring countries.

The home ministry had organised 26 special camps at district level in states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi last year where 2,307 applications were received for long-term visa and 1,994 applications for citizenship were received. The home minister has asked these state governments to expedite these applications and forward them to the Centre at the earliest.

The NDA government has taken a series of measures to address problems being faced by the minority community in neighbouring countries. These include allowing filing of application for registration as a citizen of India in the offline mode by those who cannot apply online. Similarly, the applicant is permitted to submit an affidavit instead of the renunciation certificate for citizenship. The Modi government also permitted an initial long-term visa of five years at a time instead of one year. Powers for extension of short-term visa have been delegated to deputy commissioners of police and the Foreigner Regional Registration Office. It also allowed children of those Pakistan nationals on long-term visa to take admission in schools, colleges, universities as well as technical and professional institutions under foreigner quota without permission from the state government or UT administration. The state governments and UT administration have been empowered to grant permission to such Pakistan nationals to engage themselves in employment of purely private nature.