India formally enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) on Thursday, December 12, after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the legislation passed by Parliament earlier this week. The law originated as the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which was approved by the Lok Sabha on December 10 and the Rajya Sabha on December 11.

The CAA provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians—from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. Under the Act, the residency requirement for naturalization is reduced from 11 years to five.

The legislation excludes Muslims from the three neighboring countries and does not apply to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. Supporters of the law have described it as a humanitarian measure intended to protect minorities facing persecution in neighboring theocratic states. However, critics argue that the exclusion of Muslims violates India’s secular principles enshrined in the Constitution.

The passage of the Act has triggered widespread protests across the country, with opponents expressing concern about its constitutional validity and potential impact on Indian Muslims. International and domestic observers, including the United Nations human rights body, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have noted the deep divisions surrounding the law.