https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Foreigners_Act%2C_1946Foreigners Act, 1946 - Revision history2026-10-31T22:30:40ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreigners_Act,_1946&diff=499268&oldid=prevA.RAHMAN: new...2026-03-25T16:22:10Z<p>new...</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Act of India's Imperial Legislative Assembly granting powers to the Interim Government}}<br />
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}<br />
{{use Indian English|date=October 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox legislation<br />
| imagesize = 150<br />
| image = Star of the Order of the Star of India (gold).svg<br />
| short_title = Foreigners Act, 1946<br />
| long_title = An Act to confer upon the Central Government certain powers in respect of foreigners.<br />
| citation = [https://indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2259/3/A1946-31.pdf Act No. 31 of 1946]<br />
| territorial_extent = whole of India<br />
| enacted_by = [[Imperial Legislative Assembly]]<br />
| date_enacted = 23 November 1946<br />
| assented_by = Governor General<br />
| date_assented = 23 November 1946<br />
| repeals = {{ubl|Foreigners Act, 1864 (III of 1864)|Foreigners Act, 1940 (II of 1940)|Foreigners Act (Amendment) Ordinance, 1946 (XXI of 1946)}}<br />
| amended_by = {{ubl|Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 1947 (38 of 1947)|Continuance of Legal Proceedings Act 1948 (38 of 1948)|Repealing and Amending Act, 1950 (35 of 1950)|Foreigners Laws (Amendment) Act 1957 (11 of 1957)|Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 2004 (16 of 2004)}}<br />
| repealed_by = [[Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025]]<br />
| related_legislation = [[Indian nationality law]]<br />
| status = repealed<br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Foreigners Act, 1946''' was an [[Act of Parliament|Act]] of the [[Imperial Legislative Assembly]] enacted to grant the certain powers to the [[Interim Government of India]] in matters of [[Alien (law)|foreigners]] in [[India]]. The Act was enacted before India became independent. It was repealed by Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.<br />
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== Definition ==<br />
The Act defines a foreigner as "a person who is not a citizen of India". Section 9 of the Act states that, where the nationality of a person is not evident as per Section 8, the onus of proving whether a person is a citizen of India shall lie upon such person.<br />
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== Identification ==<br />
According to the Foreigners (Report to the police) Order, 2001, made under the Foreigners Act 1946, where any person who has reason to believe that a foreigner has entered India without valid documents or is staying in India beyond the authorized period of stay accommodates such a foreigner in a premises occupied, owned or controlled by him, for whatever purpose, it shall be the duty of such a person to inform the nearest police station, within 24 hours, of the presence of such foreigner.<ref name="foreigner1">[https://indiankanoon.org/doc/27376/ The Foreigners Act, 1946], Indian Kanoon.</ref><br />
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== Reporting ==<br />
The Foreigners Act empowers the Indian government to detain a person until deportation back to their country of origin.<ref>{{citation |title=In Strident Campaign, Jammu Politicians Target Rohingya Muslim Refugees |url=https://thewire.in/106280/jammu-rohingya-muslim-myanmar-refugee |work=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] |date=7 February 2017 }}</ref><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Illegal immigration to India]]<br />
* [[Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019]]<br />
* [[Indian nationality law]]<br />
* [[National Register of Citizens of India]]<br />
* [[Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983]]<br />
* [[Refugees in India]]<br />
* [[Overseas Citizenship of India]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{India-law-stub}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Foreigners Act, 1946}}<br />
[[Category:Acts of the Imperial Legislative Council]]<br />
[[Category:1946 in law]]<br />
[[Category:Expatriates in India]]<br />
[[Category:1946 in India]]<br />
[[Category:Foreign relations of India]]<br />
[[Category:Indian nationality law]]<br />
[[Category:Legislation in British India]]</div>A.RAHMAN