The government of India has decided to cut down the ‘Adverse List’ of members of the Sikh community that earlier contained 314 names and has brought it down to just 2 names.
Apart from that, the government of India has directed all its missions abroad to provide appropriate visas to all categories of asylum seekers of Indian origin and their family members whose name does not appear in the central adverse list. The visa norms for the asylees and derivatives(their family members) will be inline with other citizens of the respective countries they are living in.
GoI has advised all Indian Missions abroad to grant appropriate visa to all categories of asylees&derivative asylees (i.e. family members) whose names don’t figure in the Central Adverse List,in line with procedure followed for other categories of applicants of that nationality. https://t.co/Yc5ssGA12T
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2019
In addition to this, the government if India has directed that all asylum seekers of Indian origin, who will be eligible for issuance of long-term visas will also be eligible to apply for registration as Overseas Citizens of India cards after they have applied for and held normal visas for the period of two years.
All categories of asylees (family members) who become eligible for issuance of long term Indian visa will also be eligible to apply for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder after they have applied for and held normal visas for a period of two years.
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2019
Earlier in April this year, India had directed all its missions abroad to abolish the local blacklists they held against asylees of Indian origin in the respective countries. Usually, asylees of Indian origin (and their family members) in a country were denied regular consular services and prevented from applying for Indian visas and OCI cards. The government had at that time, directed all Indian missions to discard their local lists and follow only the central ‘Adverse List’.
It is notable here that a considerable number of Sikhs had sought asylums in countries like USA, UK and Canada for the fear of persecution during the post-Khalistan crackdown. Thousands of Sikhs have not been able to visit India even years after the end of Khalistani terrorism.
