Does the CAA's Promise of Citizenship to Pre-2014 Non-Muslims Resolve Statelessness or Incentivize Forged Documents?

India's 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) gives faster citizenship to non-Muslims (like Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. It cuts the usual waiting time from 11 years to 5 years and ignores rules about illegal entry. The government says it's a kind way to help people escaping religious attacks, ending their lack of legal status by using simple self-statements and everyday Indian IDs, without tough checks. But critics say this easy system encourages fake papers, because proving entry before 2014 is key, and there's little verification. Audits in 2025 found groups making forged documents. The law leaves out Muslims and anyone who arrived after 2014, which might push more people to lie. The big question: How to help real refugees without letting fraud ruin trust in the system or reward fake stories?