In a dawn of a new era for 25,000 Pakistani-Hindu refugees living in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, the passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill means that they would be immediately granted citizenship, Economic Times has reported.

These refugees meet the criteria of having spent 5 years in India, and are eligible for citizenship. Most of them currently reside in camps near the city which saw huge celebrations after the bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha.

Most of the Hindu migrants come via the Thar Express which runs between Pakistan and Jodhpur. In the last three years 2,447 from six specified regions in Pakistan were granted citizenship.

Historically, in 2004 the government had granted 13,000 migrants Indian citizenship in one go.

Besides granting citizenship, organisations working for the welfare of Hindu refugees have sought that they be given proper access to means of livelihood and benefit of government schemes.