Home Ministry blacklists 2,550 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members

The Home Ministry has blacklisted 2,550 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members who were staying in India amid the coronavirus lockdown in violation of visa rules, and they would not be permitted to enter the country for at least 10 years, officials said on Thursday.

The MHA has taken this decision after various state governments provided details of the foreigners who were found to be illegally living in mosques and religious seminaries across the country.

Action against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members was first taken after over 2,300 people, including 250 foreigners, belonging to the Islamic organisation were found to be living at its headquarters located at Delhi's Nizamuddin soon after the nation-wide lockdown was announced in March. Several of these members had tested positive for coronavirus.