{"id":20125,"date":"2023-11-01T10:19:25","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/govt-initiates-nationwide-operation-to-deport-illegal-foreign-nationals\/"},"modified":"2023-11-01T10:19:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T10:19:25","slug":"govt-initiates-nationwide-operation-to-deport-illegal-foreign-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/govt-initiates-nationwide-operation-to-deport-illegal-foreign-nationals\/","title":{"rendered":"Govt initiates nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>The government has initiated a nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans, after the deadline to voluntarily leave the country expired, it emerged on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, the government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779106\">gave an ultimatum<\/a> to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by Oct 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.<\/p>\n<p>Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779106\/govt-sets-deadline-of-nov-1-for-illegal-immigrants-to-leave-pakistan\">estimates<\/a> 1.7m are undocumented.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1785507\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>While the decision had prompted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779276\">criticism from Afghanistan<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1785283\/hrcp-fears-afghan-deportations-can-trigger-a-humanitarian-crisis\">several other quarters<\/a>, the caretakers refused to budge from the deadline, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779555\/fm-afghan-counterpart-discuss-challenges-to-peace-in-tibet-talks?preview\">insisting<\/a> the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.<\/p>\n<p>The government has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1784087\">decided<\/a> to keep foreign nationals residing in the country without identity documents in \u201cholding centres\u201d before deporting them to their respective countries.<\/p>\n<p>Such centres have been established in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Attock while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1785369\/holding-centres-set-up-in-twin-cities-as-repatriation-deadline-ends\">over 800 houses<\/a> of the \u2018illegal immigrants\u2019 were demolished in the capital a day ago. Similarly, 52,000 illegal residents have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1785403\/52000-illegal-aliens-mapped-in-kp-for-crackdown-minister\">identified<\/a> and mapped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a crackdown.<\/p>\n<p>In an interior ministry notification dated October 30, which <em>Dawn.com<\/em> has seen, the government recalled the \u201cIllegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,\u201d which it said it had approved on September 21 for the \u201crepatriation of all illegal\/unregistered foreigners, including those who are overstaying their visa validity period\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The ministry said it was \u201cpleased to convey consent to and order repatriation of all such illegal\/unregistered foreigners, including those overstaying their visa validity period, who are presently under trial or undergoing any sentence\u201d under Section 14B (deportation pending trial or undergoing sentence of imprisonment) of the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/dyn\/natlex\/docs\/ELECTRONIC\/37905\/128188\/F1951227926\/PAK37905%202016.pdf\">Foreigners Act, 1946<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It further stated that foreigners \u201cwho are under trial or undergoing sentence for any offence other than specified in the Foreigners Act\u201d were not to be repatriated.<\/p>\n<p>Noting that it was \u201cexpedient to authorise district administration, police, prosecution, jail administration and all authorities that may be relevant, to take steps for arrest, detention (in jails or any other suitable premises) and departure of such illegal foreigners\u201d, the government said it was invoking the provisions of sub-sections 1, 2(c), 2(e)(1) and 2(g) of Section 3 (power to make orders) of the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ilo.org\/dyn\/natlex\/docs\/ELECTRONIC\/37905\/128188\/F1951227926\/PAK37905%202016.pdf\">Foreigners Act, 1946<\/a> with effect from Nov 1.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1785286\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti shared a video of Afghan nationals lined up to board a bus to the neighbouring country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis action is a testament to Pakistan\u2019s determination to repatriate any individuals residing in the country without proper documentation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>According to state-run <em><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/radio.gov.pk\/01-11-2023\/govt-initiates-nationwide-operation-to-deport-illegal-foreign-nationals\">Radio Pakistan<\/a><\/em>, it is the first time in the country\u2019s history that the interior ministry has \u201cissued instructions to all provinces to deport illegal foreigners under the Foreigners Act\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The identification process of 0.2m illegal foreigners residing in Sindh has been completed, the report said. It added that operations have also been initiated in Punjab and Balochistan \u201cto deport illegal Afghans and their data is being checked by scanning\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities in KP, where the majority of Afghan migrants live, will launch a widespread operation to arrest undocumented families who refuse to leave, caretaker information minister Barrister Firoze Jamal Shah told <em>AFP<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>AFP<\/em> quoted the state media as saying that 49 holding centres, some capable of holding several thousand people, were set to open across the country on Wednesday to process and deport Afghans.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"fm-jilani-terms-concerns-huge-misperception\" href=\"#fm-jilani-terms-concerns-huge-misperception\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>FM Jilani terms concerns \u2018huge misperception\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani termed the concerns raised over the government\u2019s decision as a \u201chuge misperception\u201d, which he said was especially developed by the media.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  \"><figcaption class=\"media__caption  \">Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani speaks to reporters on Nov 1. \u2014 Screengrab from video provided by Nadir Guramani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <em>Dawn.com<\/em>, he noted that there was a need to inform the media about the \u201creal situation\u201d. The minister claimed, \u201cI will only say that the majority of Afghan refugees, who have registration cards, are not at all being expelled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOther than that, those who have documents, they are not being [expelled] either,\u201d he said without specifying which documents.<\/p>\n<p>The foreign minister added, \u201cThirdly, the vulnerable communities among Afghans, which include minorities or there are some other people who have apprehensions that they will have to face some issues after going there, we will also adopt a flexible approach towards them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>FM Jilani then said that only those who had \u201cno documents at all and were residing here without any documents\u201d, were being told to return to their home country.<\/p>\n<p>He went on to say that the caretaker prime minister and his cabinet had decided that such people\u2019s \u201cdignity and the respect of their women and children will be taken care of\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"taliban-govt-calls-for-more-time-for-afghans-to-leave-pakistan\" href=\"#taliban-govt-calls-for-more-time-for-afghans-to-leave-pakistan\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Taliban govt calls for more time for Afghans to leave Pakistan<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban government urged Pakistan to give undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts swarmed by thousands of returnees fleeing the threat of deportation.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Taliban authorities thanked Pakistan and other countries that have hosted millions of Afghans who fled their country during decades of conflict, but \u201casked them to not forcibly deport Afghans with little notice but to give them time to prepare\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1640974\">taking power<\/a> in 2021, the Taliban government has urged Afghans to return home but has also condemned Pakistan\u2019s actions, saying nationals are being punished for tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, and calling for people to be given more time to depart.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"mass-exodus-of-afghans-as-deadline-arrives\" href=\"#mass-exodus-of-afghans-as-deadline-arrives\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Mass exodus of Afghans as deadline arrives<\/h2>\n<p><figure class=\"media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  \"><figcaption class=\"media__caption  \">A police officer sits with detained Afghan nationals, who according to them were undocumented, as they shift them to a holding centre, after Pakistan gave the last warning to undocumented migrants to leave, in Karachi, Pakistan on Nov 1. \u2014 Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>More than 140,000 undocumented immigrants, most of them Afghan nationals, have returned to their Taliban-ruled homeland, <em>Reuters<\/em> quoted Pakistani officials as saying.<\/p>\n<p>A KP senior official said about 104,000 Afghan nationals had left through the main Torkham border crossing during the last two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of them have been living in Pakistan for more than 30 years without any proof of registration,\u201d said Nasir Khan, the deputy commissioner of the area.<\/p>\n<p>An as yet undetermined number have also left via Balochistan\u2019s Chaman border crossing. However, Pakistan\u2019s interior ministry put the number higher, saying 140,322 of those who had stayed illegally had left.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA process to arrest the foreigners \u2026 for deportation has started by Nov 1,\u201d it said in a statement, while adding that voluntary return would still be encouraged.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  \"><figcaption class=\"media__caption  \">A bulldozer is being used to demolish houses of Afghan refugees, during an operation by local authorities at a refugee camp in Islamabad on October 31. \u2014 AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Also today, thousands joined a snaking queue that stretched for seven kilometres at the busiest border point, where at least 29,000 had crossed back into Afghanistan the day before, <em>AFP<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p>A 14-year-old Afghan girl, who <em>AFP<\/em> did not name for security reasons, said she would stay in Pakistan as long as possible, despite not having legal papers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are not going back home, because my education in Afghanistan would come to a grinding halt,\u201d she told <em>AFP<\/em> in Peshawar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur father has told us that if he is arrested by Pakistani authorities, we should not leave even then. Because we will have no life in Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the capital Islamabad, police have already begun demolishing hundreds of illegally built mud homes where Afghans had been living in poverty.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnough is enough, tell us the route and we will arrange a vehicle and leave today. This humiliation is too much,\u201d 35-year-old Baaz Muhammad told <em>AFP<\/em>, who was born in Pakistan to refugee parents, as he watched a bulldozer raze his home.<\/p>\n<p>In the mega port city of Karachi, Afghans who have lived for generations at a refugee camp have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests and extortion.<\/p>\n<p>Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan in recent decades, fleeing a series of violent conflicts, including an estimated 600,000 since the Taliban government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1640974\">seized power<\/a> in August 2021 and imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan has said the deportations are to protect the country\u2019s \u201cwelfare and security\u201d after a sharp rise in attacks, which the government blames on militants operating from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>The policy has widespread support from Pakistanis, observers say, with a protracted refugee presence putting a heavy burden on the country\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers and activists have said the scale of the crackdown is unprecedented, appealing for Afghans \u2014 some of whom have lived for decades in the country \u2014 to be given more time to pack up with dignity.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"emergency-situation\" href=\"#emergency-situation\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>\u2018Emergency situation\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><figure class=\"media  sm:w-full  w-full  media--stretch  \"><figcaption class=\"media__caption  \">In this photo taken on October 30, 2023, an Afghan man carries his sick daughter at the Afghanistan-Pakistan Torkham border in Nangarhar province. \u2014 AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>Authorities on the Afghan side of the border have been overwhelmed by the scale of exodus as they attempt to process those returning \u2014 some of whom are stepping foot in Afghanistan for the first time in their lives.<\/p>\n<p>An ad hoc settlement has sprung up near the border post, where people are becoming increasingly desperate, sleeping outdoors with limited access to food, water and medicines as they wait for registration.<\/p>\n<p>The government has established a High Commission to address the issue and said two temporary camps would be set up in the area near Torkham.<\/p>\n<p>Wednesday\u2019s statement also urged wealthy Afghans to work with the High Commission to support returnees with transport, accommodation and shelter.<\/p>\n<p>Officials have also said staff, technical reinforcements and trucks carrying mobile toilets, generators and water tankers were being deployed to Torkham.<\/p>\n<p>Samiullah Samoon, who leads immigration registration at Torkham, said the crossing is facing \u201can emergency situation\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>After fleeing into Afghanistan, 35-year-old Benafsha, four months pregnant with her seventh child, is waiting to be processed before moving on to their province of origin, Kunduz.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn Kunduz, we don\u2019t have land, or a home, or work,\u201d said the woman, who was never documented in Pakistan despite living almost all her life in the country. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The government has initiated a nationwide operation to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans, after the deadline to voluntarily leave the country expired, it emerged on Wednesday. Earlier this month, the government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by Oct 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2023\/11\/0115133019aa090.jpg?r=151356","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}