Interior minister says plan finalised to expel illegal migrants as deadline looms

• No compromise to be made on expelling illegal immigrants: minister.
• Says Pakistan is determined to expel all illegal immigrants.
• Centres set up in various cities to keep illegal immigrants: Bugti.

Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has reiterated that no compromise will be made on the decision to expel illegal immigrants, saying that a plan has been finalised in this regard as the November 1 deadline approaches.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the interior minister said centres have been set up in various cities across the country to keep the illegal immigrants, while those leaving voluntarily will be helped to leave Pakistan.

"It is a challenging task," Bugti said, adding Pakistan was determined to expel all illegal immigrants.

The illegal immigrants, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for years, will not allowed to carry more than Rs50,000 while leaving the country, he added.

The minister also warned the local residents against giving shelter to illegal immigrants saying strict action will be taken against them.

Bugti said the authorities have conducted geo-fencing and gathered all information regarding illegal immigrants.

“We know in which village and city the illegal immigrants are present,” he said.

Bugti also clarified that the crackdown is only against illegal immigrants and those willing to visit Pakistan with valid visa will be welcomed.

Separately, Balochistan caretaker Home Minister Zubair Jamali also confirmed the development that the plan for the repatriation of illegal immigrants has been finalised.

“As many as 14,000 migrants from Balochistan have returned to their homeland through Chaman [border],” he told the presser.

He said strict action will be taken against illegal residents after November 1 deadline.

“The federal and provincial institutions are on the same page to make the country peaceful,” he added.

Earlier this month, Pakistan announced November 1 as the deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave Pakistan or face deportation and seizure of properties and businesses.

Bugti had warned on October 5 that the illegal immigrants had been given a deadline of November 1 to leave Pakistan for their native countries or face deportation. "Their assets and businesses in Pakistan can be confiscated after the expiry of the deadline," the minister announced.

Illegal Afghan nationals were responsible for 14 of the 24 suicide bombings in the country this year, he said and added, “Safety and security of the people of Pakistan is the prime responsibility and foremost priority of the government.”

He said a drastic crackdown would be launched against the illegal immigrants, including Afghan nationals, who would be arrested and expelled to their native countries.

He had said that at least 4.2 million Afghan people were living in Pakistan, of which not less than three million were living illegally without any legal documents.

Crackdown not Afghan-specific

After authorities lunched crackdown, the Foreign Office clarified that the decision to deport illegal residents was not specifically targeted at the Afghan refugees but against all immigrants residing in the country illegally without valid visa documents.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at a weekly press briefing had said the national policy towards the Afghan refugees in the country “remained unchanged” and their safe repatriation was a separate issue.

The spokesperson said the ongoing operation was against the individuals who had either overstayed their visas or did not have the valid documents to stay.

Baloch clarified that the operation had nothing to do with the Afghan refugees that Pakistan had been hosting for several decades despite its economic constraints.