New Dehli : President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday gave his assent to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act. According to an official notification, the Act comes into effect with its publication in the official gazette on Thursday. According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and by Lok Sabha on Monday. The Act says the refugees of the six communities will be given Indian citizenship after residing in India for five years, instead of earlier requirement of 11 years.

The Act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found as illegal migrants. According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

The ILP regime is applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram. Rajya Sabha, on Wednesday, passed the Bill with a candid vote of 125 in favour and 105 against. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the passage of the Citizenship Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha as a landmark day for India and said that the Bill will alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years.