Centre’s New Immigration Bill
Context:
Recently, the Centre introduced a new immigration bill. The new bill aims to strengthen national security while streamlining immigration laws by replacing the old legislation.
Relevance:
GS-02 (Government policies and interventions)
What is the New Immigration bill?
- Denial of Entry on Security Grounds: The bill confirms a stay or denied entry to those posing a threat to national security or sovereignty.
- Final Authority of Immigration Officers The Bill strengthens the powers of the Immigration Officers by offering them legal backing. It makes their decisions binding.
- Repeal of Outdated Laws: The Bill replaces four existing Acts:
- The Foreigners Act (1946)
- Passport (Entry into India) Act (1920), which has overlapping provisions dating back to World War eras.
- Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939
- Immigration (Carriers’ Liability) Act, 2000
- Avoiding Legal Overlaps: The proposed law will streamline regulations related to passports, visas, foreigner registration, and exit procedures, reducing inconsistencies in multiple laws.
- New Institutional responsibilities
- Immigration Officers will have defined roles under the Bureau of Immigration.
- Educational and medical institutions admitting foreign nationals may have new compliance requirements.
- Foreigners may bear the burden of proof to establish their nationality.
- Penalties for violations
- Illegal entry: Up to 5 years’ imprisonment or fines up to ₹5 lakh.
- Fraudulent travel documents: 2-7 years’ imprisonment, fines ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
- Concerns & Implications
- Strengthens national security by empowering immigration authorities.
- Risk of executive overreach, as vague security concerns could be misused to deny entry.
- May impact foreign students, medical tourists, and businesses due to increased scrutiny.
- Clarity is needed on appeal mechanisms since immigration officers’ decisions are final.
Conclusion:
The new bill aims to bring in new reforms to strengthen national security. However, it is also important to safeguard it from being misused.
