C.A. No. 005015 / 2019
Under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, a person once declared an illegal migrant or foreigner by a competent authority under the Foreigners Act is permanently ineligible for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens, and such a declaration operates as a conclusive determination of citizenship status. The Foreigners Tribunal's opinion, though styled as an executive order, constitutes a binding determination by the "competent authority" under sub-para (2) to paragraph 3 of the Schedule, precluding any fresh adjudication through the appellate mechanism under paragraph 8. This analysis, available on casestatus.in, further affirms that the Foreigners Act and Citizenship Act must be read harmoniously as complementary enactments.