Tag: Deportation Plan

  • Government aims to send back million ‘illegal aliens’ in second phase, says Balochistan’s Information Minister

    Government aims to send back million ‘illegal aliens’ in second phase, says Balochistan’s Information Minister

    Jan Achakzai, Balochistan’s caretaker Information Minister, has said that the second phase of repatriation of Afghan refugees has begun. In this phase the government aims to repatriate a million undocumented immigrants back to their countries by 2024.

    The minister said in a press conference that over 2,000 illegal Afghans have already been sent back to Afghanistan through Chaman border after getting arrested, reports Dawn.

    “The government has now launched a ‘stop and search policy’ under which police and other law-enforcement agencies will stop and check the national identity card of any suspected person,” Mr Achakzai said.

    Mr Achakzai said that around one million Afghan refugees got themselves registered with UNHCR in Quetta where they were issued Proof of Registration (POR) cards. He said that 200,000 fake cards were issued in Balochistan which have now been blocked by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

    Mr Achakzai said that all concerned institutions and agencies were coordinating with each other while implementing orders issued to them by the federal government about illegal immigrants in the country, adding that no one would be allowed to stay illegally in the country.

  • ‘Afghan-looking’ Pakistanis taken to holding centres for deportation, says Aurat March

    ‘Afghan-looking’ Pakistanis taken to holding centres for deportation, says Aurat March

    In a series of video documents and reports released by the organization’s Lahore Chapter, a number of Pakistani Pashtuns are seen talking about how they are being taken in to deportation centres because they ‘look Afghan’. Their minor children, and in one case an Afghan’s wife and a two-month-old baby, been taken to holding centres in multiple raids conducted by the police.

    The victims, visibly distressed, are complaining about the lack of information and resources as they do not know where the detainees are being taken and why. Some of them are being told that they will be taken to the borders for deportation because they do not hold registration cards and are assumed illegal by the government, even though their guardians hold the required documents.

    There are incidents of minor legal document holders being deported too. One such example is 16-year-old Mansour, brother of Yaseen who holds a PoR card but he says the police have confiscated it from him putting him at further risk. The child is being sent on a bus to the border.

    Aurat March is claiming that there is a large number of poor Pakistani Pashtuns running from one police station to the other, trying to prove with their CNICs and birth certificates of their detained children, that they are legal citizens and not illegal immigrants.

    Unfortunately, as confirmed by Aurat March, a video of a man doing rounds on social media where he is being told by the authorities that his son, a 17-year-old has been sent to Afghanistan after being picked up in a raid in Karachi, is true.

    In another video, a man from Waziristan, a Pakistani citizen is showing his child’s birth certificate, which was missing a day ago and has received a call from his son who is now sent to Chaman for deportation. He goes on to prove his citizenship by showing his Watan card and the ID cards of his deceased father and brother too. He alleges that the money and the photocopy of the father’s ID card had been snatched away from the kid by the police.

    Activist Mehrub Awan posted on X a video of a police officer outside the Sultanabad detention centre stating that “The Pakistanis deported accidentally can’t be brought back”.

    Lawyer Moniza Kakar, while talking to The Current, explains that the number of 1.7 million as stated by the government is a vague one, and the number is not definite since registration of Afghans stopped when the Taliban took over. All those who entered Pakistan after that were given a token which has no legal status. Consequently, they also can’t have access to any legal shelter. Even then, petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court where Lawyers Umer Gilani and Sara Malkani will be representing.
    Many, including women and children, are being confused by authorities, allegedly for having an accent or looking similar to Afghans, said Kakar.

    The government, however, is silent, raising questions over the transparency of the system and the very rushed way in which the process is being conducted. We have reached out to the interior ministry for a comment but they have not responded.

  • Pakistan should not make more enemies, cautions Taliban Refugee Minister

    Pakistan should not make more enemies, cautions Taliban Refugee Minister

    The Taliban government’s refugees minister, Khalil Haqqani, has said in an interview with AFP that, “They [Pakis­tani authorities] should not give Afghans a hard time, they should not make more enemies.” The statement was said in the context of the mass exodus of refugees from Pakistan under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.

    Authorities on the Afghanistan side have established centres several kilometres from a border crossing along with camps for families in what was described as an “emergency situation” by the Afghan officials. “We are constantly in contact with them [Pakis­tani authorities] asking for more time. People must be allowed to return with dignity,” he reiterated.

    Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi also visited the Torkham border and asserted that the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is in violation of International laws. He also mentioned that the ones coming back are their brethren and this is their home. To address all their problems will be the first priority of the government.

  • Children and women will be exempted from bio-metric verification, says Sarfraz Bugti

    The spokesperson for The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan and caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, held a discussion with Afghan High Commissioner Ahmed Shakaib, deciding that children and women will be exempted from scanning by NADRA. Only male adults will be scanned for verification.

    “The interior ministry issued directions that females and children below the age of 14 will not be scanned for entry by NADRA. Only male adults would be scanned during the voluntary repatriation,” reported Dawn. Only a “head count” of women and children will be done for record purposes.

    The decision was made keeping in context the heavy influx of Afghan citizens on the borders as the deadline for leaving has passed and deportation has started. A huge number of people are also coming in for voluntary repatriation and it was feared that the situation could spiral out of control. This directive could smoothen the process a bit.

    Authorities are asked to be gentle as any aggression will lead to consequences. A special helpline number has been set up by the ministry and every complaint will be catered to on an emergency basis. The Afghan Embassy has also been asked to send a representative who can work closely with the Interior Ministry.

    So far, 165,000 Afghan immigrants have left for Afghanistan during voluntary repatriation. On Thursday, a total of 19,344 undocumented immigrants left via Torkham.

    Officials at the border crossing in Angoor Adda in KP’s South Waziristan district said that 294 Afghan immigrants, including 129 children, voluntarily left for Afghanistan on Thursday.

    Out of 572 refugees taken into custody, 200 were sent back as they produced valid documents while 384 were sent to Chaman for deportation. 1,176 Afghans volunteered to reach Chaman on their own.

    The crackdown in Punjab will start today as per the officials.

  • Pakistan to deport 1.1 million illegal foreign residents in security move

    Pakistan to deport 1.1 million illegal foreign residents in security move

    Due to security concerns, the caretaker government led by Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar announced on Monday its intention to repatriate 1.1 million foreign nationals who are currently residing in Pakistan without legal authorisation.

    The government’s plan involves a multi-phase approach. In the initial phase, those individuals who are residing in Pakistan unlawfully, colloquially referred to as “aliens,” will be subject to eviction, as will individuals who fail to renew their visas.

    Subsequent phases will target individuals with Afghan citizenship who possess proof of residence cards. The decision to take action against illegally residing Afghan citizens was made due to concerns that this group is linked to activities such as funding, facilitating, and smuggling terrorists. Additionally, a significant number of Afghan nationals have not renewed their proof of residence in Pakistan, further raising security concerns.

    A source familiar with the situation emphasised that illegally residing foreigners pose a significant security risk to Pakistan. The Ministry of Interior has collaborated with relevant stakeholders and the Afghan government to formulate a comprehensive plan for implementation.

    In parallel, the ministry has issued directives to identify and compile records of Afghans living in Pakistan without proper permits. Plans are being developed to facilitate their transportation back to the Afghan border. Authorities are also expediting the processing of applications related to the registration of Afghan nationals.

    Last week, it was reported that the government would soon announce a one-month deadline for all illegal foreign immigrants, including Afghans, to voluntarily leave the country or face legal consequences. Following this deadline, law enforcement agencies will conduct a nationwide crackdown to identify and deport illegal immigrants, the majority of whom are believed to be Afghan nationals.

    At the highest level, the government is committed to preventing Pakistan from becoming a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, many of whom are engaged in criminal activities and smuggling operations. Notably, some illegal Afghan immigrants have already been apprehended for engaging in illicit dollar trading, negatively impacting the country’s economy.

    Additionally, a considerable number of illegal foreign nationals are involved in various businesses across major cities, including the federal capital. The increase in street crime in Islamabad has been associated with the influx of illegal Afghan nationals.

    According to The News, it is estimated that approximately 1.1 million Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan without legal authorization. Since the return of the Afghan Taliban to Afghanistan in August 2021, around 400,000 Afghans have entered Pakistan illegally, with an additional 700,000 identified as residing in the country without legal permission.