Over 7000
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: On the inaugural day of the nationwide campaign to deport illegal immigrants following the October 31 deadline, Pakistan deported over 7000 illegal Afghan refugees on November 1.
A total of 7,380 undocumented individuals, predominantly Afghans, were registered at the Landikotal holding camp. They were subsequently repatriated to their home country via the Torkham border, connecting Pakistan with landlocked Afghanistan.
In this operation, 64 illegal immigrants who were released from Adyala jail in Rawalpindi and transported to Peshawar, as well as 51 undocumented foreigners freed from Central Jail Peshawar, were also deported through the Torkham border, according to Lateefur Rehman, the spokesman for the KP Home Department.
An influx of immigrants, mostly Afghans, has been observed coming from Islamabad and the Punjab province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where three holding camps were established for the purpose of verification and documentation prior to their deportation to their respective home countries.
Pakistan deported over 7000 Afghan refugees on November 1, after the expiry of the deadline.
On the first day of the campaign, a significant number of illegal immigrants, mainly Afghans, arrived at the Landikotal camp from various cities in the Punjab province, situated approximately eight kilometers from the Torkham border.
Lateef stated that by 9:30 p.m., a total of 7,380 illegal immigrants had been registered at the Landikotal camp and subsequently deported via the Torkham border. The spokesman mentioned that the goal for the day was to transfer 7,500 illegal immigrants to the Landikotal camp.
The process of relocating illegal immigrants to holding camps in Landikotal, Peshawar, and Haripur would continue according to the arrangements made by the KP Government. Lateef also noted that illegal immigrants were being deported through authorized border points such as Angoor Ada in South Waziristan, Kharlachi in Kurram, and Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan.
Wednesday and Thursday were designated for the repatriation of detained illegal foreigners from Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, while Friday and Saturday were allocated for those from the Punjab province. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were earmarked for individuals from KP.
The spokesman highlighted that free transport services to Torkham were being provided for illegal immigrants. Over 62 illegal immigrants from Islamabad and Rawalpindi arrived in Landi Kotal in District Khyber at 1:30 p.m. and were subsequently deported.
NADRA officials at Landi Kotal are overseeing the verification process using 15 vans, and additional vans are being arranged due to the expected surge in the number of illegal immigrants in the coming days. Under the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS), the FIA staff at Torkham has a total capacity of 2500, with an additional eight staff members deployed to ensure smooth repatriation of illegal immigrants.
In Angoor Ada, South Waziristan, the total capacity of FIA’s staff is 1000, with seven additional staff members deployed. Similar arrangements have been made at Khalachi in Kurram and Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan border points, with 1000 employees each and seven additional staff members for efficient processing.
