Crackdown on Illegal Foreign Residents
ISLASMABAD: The Pakistani authorities have initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal foreign residents, particularly Afghans, following the expiration of the October 31 deadline for them to leave the country at midnight.
In compliance with government directives, thousands of Afghans are voluntarily returning to their homeland from the Torkham and Chaman borders on a daily basis. On October 31, a total of 21,536 Afghans left for Afghanistan, comprising 7,292 men, 5,280 women, and 8,964 children. Additionally, 883 families were repatriated to Afghanistan, using 319 vehicles. To date, 126,017 Afghan refugees have been successfully repatriated.
Updated Transport Plan for Detained Afghan Immigrants
Furthermore, there has been a change in the schedule for transporting detained illegal Afghans to Chaman. These individuals will now be sent from the holding camps to Chaman via Jacobabad on Thursdays, as opposed to the previously scheduled Wednesdays. This process involves sending 500 Afghans to Chaman on 10 buses for three days and using a non-stop train on the fourth day to transport individuals to the Chaman border via Rohri.
In Chaman, the district administration has put in place measures to provide food and support to the numerous refugees who have arrived for their onward journey to Afghanistan. As of now, 40,000 Afghan refugees have been returned to Afghanistan. The initial stop for the buses carrying the illegal Afghans will be Jacobabad, where they will be securely housed.
According to security sources, 780 Afghans will be repatriated to their homeland daily by train.
Arrests in different cities of pakistan
In Karachi, authorities arrested four foreigners believed to be from Afghanistan in the Saddar police precinct, as they were residing in the city without legal documentation. In the suburbs of Islamabad, 64 illegal Afghans were detained for lacking identity documents and subsequently sent to the Torkham border on two buses. These detainees were seen off by the deputy commissioner and the Counter-Terrorism Department SSP. The process of scrutinizing the documents possessed by these foreign residents has been completed.
In Peshawar, SSP (Operations) Kashif Aftab Abbasi noted that the voluntary repatriation of illegal Afghan refugees has been ongoing for some time. Regarding their return after the deadline has passed, various police teams are collaborating with the district administration. Three camps have been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the illegal refugees will be brought to these camps and handed over to the Khyber police, who will transport those residing in Pakistan without proper documents to the border.
Pakistan Tightens Surveillance and Verification in Lahore and Quetta
In Lahore, officials from FIA and NADRA are stationed at the Thokar Niaz Baig holding camp for verification. The police have conducted scanning and mapping activities in various localities, and relevant departments’ teams are operating in those areas. Similar measures have been implemented in centers in Quetta. The Lahore police have identified specific locations after completing the mapping process, including Bund Road near Saggian bridge, Shahdara, Farrukhabad, and settlements adjacent to River Ravi.
In addition, tent settlements at the city’s entry points will also undergo inspection, as authorities believe a significant number of illegal Afghan refugees are residing in these hotspots. In the four districts of Multan division, four camps have been set up for the repatriation of 656 Afghans from across the division, with a temporary residence established in the city’s sports hostel. Commissioner Umar Khattak emphasized that stringent security measures are in place at the temporary shelters, and Rescue 1122 and doctors are also deployed there.
Action on harbouring illegal foreigners
For the first time in the country’s history, the Interior Ministry has issued orders to all provinces to expel illegal residents under the Foreign Act of 1946. This decree applies to all foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan, and the caretaker government has issued a warning that strict legal action will be taken against any Pakistanis found to be harboring illegal immigrants after the deadline has passed.
Security forces have completed the process of identifying illegal Afghans through mapping and geo-fencing, and the identification of 200,000 illegal immigrants residing in Sindh has been finalized. Among the 300,000 illegal Afghan citizens living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, those who do not return voluntarily will be relocated to holding centers.
