Pakistan to ramp up crackdown on illegal foreign nationals

Police officers detain immigrants who fail to provide legal documents during a search operation against illegal immigrants, at a neighborhood of Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Pakistani security forces have rounded up, detained and deported dozens of Afghans who were living in the country illegally, after a government-set deadline for them to leave expired, authorities said. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

Pakistan has decided to escalate its crackdown on foreign nationals living illegally in the country, especially Afghan nationals.

The decision was made during the third session of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Harden the State Committee, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday, Dawn news reported Sunday.

The government had previously warned that thousands of Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in Western countries would be deported if not relocated by April 30.

An official told Dawn that a total of 1.023 million Afghan nationals have already been repatriated.

In April alone, 135,865 individuals were sent back, followed by 65,057 in May.

On May 30, 1,483 Afghans were repatriated in a single day.

On Saturday, Naqvi emphasized the need for federal and provincial agencies to work in unison to eliminate threats posed by illegal migration and to uphold national security.

He directed all relevant bodies to implement the “one-document regime” effectively, with NADRA providing real-time data verification at all exit points.

Tolqun News2 days ago