India has expanded its list of categories exempted from deportation as part of a nationwide crackdown on Pakistan citizens whose visas expired on April 29, 2025. The Union Home Ministry has granted exemptions to Pakistani Hindus who have applied for long-term visas and are under process.
Those who have already applied for long-term visas but are still waiting for their applications to be processed will also be exempt from deportation. Additionally, Hindu migrants who were eligible but had not yet applied for the visa on the condition that they apply immediately will also be exempted.
The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has informed a group that advocates for the rights of Pakistani minority migrants in India that Muslim women who are married to Indian citizens and have applied for long-term visas are not required to leave the country. The FRRO has also registered over 362 Pakistani Hindu migrants during a special drive.
However, the government had earlier clarified that those with long-term visas would be exempt from the visa-revocation order and do not have to leave the country. Despite this, 249 Pakistanis left India via the Attari integrated land port in Punjab on April 28-29, while 527 Indians entered the country during the same period.
There are over 10,000 Pakistani Hindus whose long-term visa applications are pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs for more than two years. The long-term visa is considered a precursor to citizenship and is granted for 1-5 years.
The group Seemant Lok Sangathan has expressed relief that some exemptions have been granted, stating that Pakistani Hindu refugees who came to India seeking shelter from religious persecution have been unfairly targeted by the government’s revocation of visas. The group had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and taken up the matter with the State government after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The FRRO has also cautioned against touts and advised migrants to contact them directly for assistance. It has instructed those whose Pakistani passports have expired but are yet to apply for citizenship to present their documents to the office immediately.
In a related development, some Hindu migrants who came on short-term visas wanted to stay back in India and were given long-term visas as a procedure.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pahalgam-terror-attack-centre-exempts-many-more-from-repatriation-to-pakistan/article69506385.ece