In a heated parliamentary debate on Thursday, Congress MP Manish Tewari strongly criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025. Tewari expressed disappointment over the lack of a "satisfactory answer" from the Home Minister regarding concerns raised by the opposition, arguing that the bill infringes on civil liberties and should have been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further review.
"Unfortunately, there was no satisfactory answer from the Home Minister. The bill has many infirmities; it impinges upon civil liberties, and there is a lack of equilibrium in the bill. It would have been much better if it had been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee," said Tewari during the debate.
The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, aims to streamline India's immigration policies and bolster internal security by consolidating and replacing four existing laws. Defending the legislation, Amit Shah insisted that strict measures were necessary to safeguard the nation from potential threats.
"Those who pose a threat to the national security will not be allowed to enter the nation. The nation is not a 'Dharamshala' (rest house)... If someone comes to the nation to contribute to its development, they are always welcome," Shah declared.
The Home Minister made it clear that India would take decisive action against any foreign elements attempting to disrupt national stability.
"Be it Rohingyas or Bangladeshis, if they come to India to create unrest, strict action will be taken against them," he asserted.
Shah further emphasized that national security and immigration policies are deeply interconnected, necessitating a robust framework to monitor and regulate foreign arrivals.
"Immigration is not a separate issue. Many issues of the country are linked to it... From the point of view of national security, it is very important to know who enters the nation's border... We will also keep a close watch on those who will endanger the security of the country," he said.
Drawing attention to historical immigration patterns, Shah referred to India's longstanding tradition of providing refuge to persecuted communities, citing examples such as the Parsis and Jews who sought safety in India centuries ago.
"India is a geo-cultural nation, not a geo-political nation... Persians came to India and are safe in the country today. The world's smallest minority community is safe only in India. Jews fled from Israel and stayed in India," he explained.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was also mentioned, with Shah highlighting that under the law, members of six persecuted communities from neighboring countries had found refuge in India. He reinforced that the new immigration bill seeks to create a well-structured system to track foreign entrants and ensure national security while fostering economic and diplomatic cooperation.
"With the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, we will establish a detailed and structured system to track every foreigner entering the country. This will help us develop the nation and monitor those coming for business. It will also allow us to keep a sharp eye on individuals who may pose a threat to our security," Shah added.
The bill, which was later passed in the Lok Sabha, remains a point of contention between the ruling government and opposition parties, with critics like Manish Tewari warning that it could erode civil liberties and lead to excessive state surveillance.
