India’s Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, notified on 1 September 2025, entrenches religion-based exclusion into statutory form under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (Act No. 13 of 2025). Paragraph 3(1)(e) of the Order limits exemption from passport and visa requirements to persons belonging to a minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian, who entered India on or before 31 December 2024 due to religious persecution or fear of such persecution. This framework mirrors the Citizenship Amendment Act’s religion-based criteria, under which thousands had been granted citizenship.