There are 4.9 million foreign-born residents in India, accounting for 0.4% of its population.[1] 98% ofimmigrants to India came from a previous residence elsewhere in Asia.[2]
India has a long history ofaccepting refugees. ItsJewish community dates back to thefall of Jerusalem in the first century AD, and itsZoroastrianism-adheringParsis immigrated to escape the 7th-centuryMuslim conquest of Persia.[3]
Persians,Turks, andCentral Asians migrated to India during theIndo-Muslim period. They participated in the imperial bureaucracy, brought Muslim influences such asSufism, and helped to form theIndo-Persian culture.[4][5]
TheBritish colonial presence in India varied in characteristics over time; British people generally stayed in the colony on a temporary basis, and were sometimes aiming to avoid local cultural habits and contact.[7] Children would often grow up in India, be sent to Britain to receive a "proper" education,[8] and then return to India as adults.[9] With the mortality rate for foreigners being high at the time due to disease, playingBritish sports was one way that the British could maintain their health and spirits; in the words of a contemporary writer, it was best for Englishmen to "defend themselves from the magic of the land by sports, games, clubs."[10]
The modern dynamics of migration to India are often specific to India's neighbourhood;[11] for example, 97% ofimmigrants from Bangladesh live in the Bangladesh-bordering regions of India (East India andNortheast India).[12]Medical tourism has also been a factor in some migration decisions.[11]
Return migration of theIndian diaspora is another factor; for example, because of theCOVID-19 pandemic's economic disruption, some Indian labour migrants in theArab Gulf countries were forced to come to India, generally via theVande Bharat Mission.[13] (See also:Deportation of Indian nationals under Donald Trump)
Anillegal immigrant in India is a foreigner who has enteredIndia either without valid documents or who initially had a valid document, but has overstayed beyond the permitted time, as per the general provisions of theCitizenship Act as amended in 2003. Such persons are not eligible for citizenship byregistration or naturalisation.[14] They are also liable to be imprisoned for 2–8 years and fined.[15]
Refugees in India are different from theillegal immigrant in India. An exception was made in 2015 for minority communities ofBangladesh,Pakistan andAfghanistan who were compelled to seek shelter in India due toreligious persecution or fear of religious persecution. They are not classified as illegal migrants and remain eligible for citizenship,[16][17] as they are legally consideredrefugees in India.
The Indian Census of 2001 gives information about migrants, but not exclusively illegal immigrants. As per the 2001 Census,Bangladeshis form the largest group of migrants in India, followed byPakistanis.[18]{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)| Africa | |||||||||
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