India, Sept. 4 -- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday extended the cut-off date for entry into India under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) toDecember 31, 2024, widening the scope of the law five years after its passage.

The fresh directive, in effect, expanded the scope of eligibility for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The initial CAA had put the deadline at December 31, 2014.

The fresh notification widens the ambit of the law so that many of those who have come to India in the last decade can seek citizenship, a decision that comes after years of representations by refugee communities.

Enacted in December 2019, the CAA offers Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants - Hindus, Sikhs,...