Senate Committee Told Pakistan's Illegal Immigrants Prefer Jails Abroad Instead Of Returning To Home

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Senate Committee told Pakistan's illegal immigrants prefer jails abroad instead of returning to home

The committee directs FIA to take action againist the travel agents involved in human trafficking.

ISLAMABAD:(Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Nov 9th, 2019) The ministry of foreign affairs informed the a parliamentary committee that majority of illegal Pakistani immigrants preferred jails and menial jobs in foreign countries instead of turning back to Pakistan.

The ministry of foreign affairs informed the parliamentary committee that the mostly illegal immigrants applied for asylum in foreign countries by tearinig up thier passports and facing extreme harships in jails. The ministry said that the illegal immigrants also refused to accept any assitance from the Pakistani missions abroad.

Syed Zahid Raza, an official of mInistry of foreign affairs, briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.

"Over 4,000 Pakistanis jailed in Jungle Migrants Camp at Vucjak, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The camp is some 400 kilometres away from the Pakistani mission," Raza informed the parliamentary committee. "The human trafficking has reached to alarming level," he further said. The members of the committee were informed that the issue of human trafficking was increasing. The committee was also informed that travel agencies were involved in human trafficking and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take legal action.

The official also told the Senate Committee that some 400 human trafficking cases were sent by the Overseas Pakistanis to the Federal Investigation Agency for investigation. He said that illegal immigrants had been stranded in Bosnia and the Bosnian government was not well funded and did not have the resources to look aftere the inmates. However, he said that it was not clear yet.

He said around 50,000 Pakistani immigrants were trapped in Turkey and wanted to come back from Turkey. Out of 50,000, 20,000 may have been offered repatriation from Turkey to Pakistan, he said further.

The FIA’s figures of Pakistani immigrants awaiting repatriation from Turkey differed from the numbers given by foreign ministry. The FIA said there were some 30,000 Pakistanis stranded in Turkey. The Senate committee chairman expressed serious concerns about Pakistanis being stranded abroad and in need of assistance.

"Several licensed travel agencies are involved in human trafficking, selling individuals to gangs abroad who force immigrants to do jobs on meagre salaries,” the chairman said. However, he directed the ministry to offer help to Pakistanis, especially those who were jailed in Bosnia. The FIA was directed to lodge FIRs and take action against the travel agents involved in human trafficking, the chairman directed.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.