This chapter examines how migrants and refugees in India are structurally excluded from social protection through gaps in law, policy, and implementation. It focuses on internal migrants, urban poor, and stateless populations such as Afghan and Rohingya refugees who, despite decades of residence, remain outside formal welfare entitlements. Barriers such as lack of identification, non-portability of benefits, and absence of a refugee law keep these populations in a permanent state of liminality. During the COVID-19 lockdown, internal migrant workers faced mass displacement and deprivation, while refugee communities struggled with access to food, healthcare, and vaccination, revealing the fragility of existing support systems. Refugee camps and informal settlements, including those near Delhi’s Signature Bridge, illustrate the condition of bare life, where basic shelter replaces political rights. The chapter analyses how state mechanisms distinguish between citizens and non-citizens, leading to differentiated treatment. Civil society organisations and international bodies such as the UNHCR offer limited relief, but without legal guarantees or accountability. Using the concepts of liminality and the third space, the chapter argues for a rights-based approach that ensures social protection is not reduced to discretionary aid but recognised as a necessary foundation for inclusive and democratic governance.