There are over 57,000 overstaying Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, according to its ambassador to Islamabad Ali Awadh Asseri. The envoy blamed some Pakistani agencies providing Umrah services for this problem. He said that a large number of Pakistanis apply for visas to make the holy trip but instead of performing Umrah their objective is really to overstay in Saudi Arabia. Asseri has asked Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar to find ways to address the problem.
In a related development, Ejazul Haq, Minister for Religious Affairs, disclosed government plans to soon start requiring those seeking Umrah visas to use machine-readable passports as a means to curb irregular migration to Saudi Arabia. It also plans to introduce a special passport for Umrah if this measure fails to solve the problem.
A group of 33 irregular immigrants, including eight Pakistanis, 15 Indians, five Afghans, four Bangladeshis and a Chechen, were detained by Ukraine border guards on 17 June near the Slovakian border. An increasing number of irregular migrants have been trying to cross the Ukraine since May 2004 when three of its neighbors, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, were admitted into the European Union. According to official figures, in 2004 alone authorities have apprehended more than 4,000 irregular migrants in the western part of the country.
At a seminar on “Empowering Local Communities for Elimination of Human Trafficking," on 19 June Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said that the key to solving the global problem is an effective migration management system. This would work only through the concerted efforts of various stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society, public representatives and the empowerment of the people who are most vulnerable to trafficking, Sherpao explained. The minister added that although the country has a national plan of action, people empowerment is the most effective weapon against human trafficking.
The Supreme Court has ordered the Federal Government on 16 June to make arrangements for the immediate deportation of eight foreigners who were arrested in Peshawar for not having valid documents. The eight foreigners include Egyptian Farooq Saad Ahmed, his wife and four children and two Tajik nationals. They had been living in the offices of the Al-Khidmat Foundation
Some 40 people, mostly from Bangladesh, Nepal, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, are currently being held in a private jail by Qudratullah, alias Qutab Khan, a stooge of the Balochistan Levis. According to reports, most of the 40 hostages were deported by Turkey and handed over to the Balochistan Levis or pushed to Pakistan’s side of the border by Iranian border security forces on the assumption that they were Pakistanis. Information provided to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) point to Qudratullah as part of an international human smuggling ring operating in the border areas of Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. Millions of rupees are now being demanded as ransom for the release of the hostages.
Security forces arrested four Afghans in the Chaman district along the Pak-Afghan border for unauthorized entry to Pakistan. Appropriate charges have been filed against them. In a separate incident, the Taftan Levies arrested 34 Europe-bound Pakistanis who were trying to sneak into Iran on 24 June. They were turned over to the FIA for investigation.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has appealed to the international community to commemorate World Refugee Day on 20 June by continuing their assistance to the 2.5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The IRC has also expanded its appeal to include assistance for the development of local Pakistani communities who have been sharing their limited resources with the refugees for more than 25 years. IRC Pakistan provides facilities for healthcare, education, vocational training, clean water, sanitation, psychosocial counseling and information on repatriation to more than 230,000 Afghan refugees in NWFP. It has also extended most of these services to the host communities.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has approved a new visa policy seeking to attract foreign investment and boost tourism in the country. Under the new policy, the procedure for the issuance of visas to foreign investors and tourists has been simplified and the validity of the visas extended. The unveiling of the revised visa policy would be done by Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao at a press conference to be held at the Press Information Department on 30 June.
Sources: Shahid Hussain, “Deportation of eight foreigners ordered," Gulf News, 17 June 2006; “SC asks govt to deport Egyptian family, Tajiks," Dawn, 17 June 2006; Irfan Ghauri, “Umra passports to check illegal immigration" Ejaz," Daily Times, 18 June 2006; AFP, “Ukraine detains 8 illegal Pakistani migrants," Daily Times, 18 June 2006; “More than 57,000 Pakistanis overstaying in Saudi Arabia," The Peninsula, 18 June 2006; “Seminar on human trafficking: Sherpao calls for effective management of migrants," Daily Times, 20 June 2006; “World Refugee Day: IRC calls for renewed effort to assist Afghan refugees," Daily Times, 20 June 2006; Maqbool Ahmed, “Levis hold 40 immigrants hostage," Daily Times, 24 June 2006; Malik Siraj Akbar, “4 Afghans held for illegally entering Pakistan," Daily Times, 25 June 2006; Syed Irfan Raza, “Visa policy to facilitate tourists, investors," Dawn, 30 June 2006