Pakistan planning to deport all illegal immigrants from country by end of October

In Pakistan, the government is planning to deport all illegal immigrants from the country by the end of October. The immigrants targeted by the deportation mostly include long-term Afghan residents in Pakistan. More than 1.1 million illegal immigrants including individuals with Afghan refugee permits, are required to leave the country by the end of this month. 

Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that if those groups have not left Pakistan by November 1, then all the law enforcement agencies will deport them. The deportation process will be executed in three phases. Initially, all undocumented immigrants will be repatriated, followed by the expulsion of Afghan immigrants holding residence permits.

According to Pakistani



authorities, Pakistan will implement a single-document system effective from November 1 at all border checkpoints with Afghanistan. The system will require Afghan citizens to possess a valid passport and visa for entry into Pakistan.

Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have played a significant role in the decision. Officials in Pakistan emphasised that Afghan citizens have been linked to past militant attacks within the country. Pakistan is home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations including a sizable Afghan population. 

Interior Ministry of Pakistan has collaborated with the Taliban government to devise a plan, for the deportation of Afghan immigrants.