Pak Hindu refugees asked to visit Delhi HC March 19 onwards for CAA registration, says refugee

The Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 on Monday, paving way for grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

New Delhi: Pakistani Hindu refugees of Majnu-Ka-Tila have been asked to visit the Delhi High Court on or after March 19 for the registration process of citizenship, Pakistani Hindu refugee Dharamveer Solanki said on Thursday.

Solanki said that the process to register them as Indian citizens will be informed after they visit the court next week.

"We have been asked to visit the high court on or after March 19 for the registration process. One of the lawyers we know met us last night and informed this. Rest of the process to register ourselves will be informed after we visit court," Solanki told PTI.

The Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 on Monday, paving the way for grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

He further stated that the refugees living at Majnu-Ka-Tila have been informed that they will not be relocated.

"We have been told that we will not be moved from Majnu-Ka-Tila area. Even several families here want the government to provide them with benefits here itself and develop the camp," Solanki told PTI.

The government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians - from the three countries. The rules come into force with immediate effect, according to a Gazette notification.