More than 540,000 illegal immigrants have been repatriated so far under the government’s deportation drive against illegal aliens, Pakistan’s interior ministry informed the Senate on Tuesday.
In October, the government had given an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan by October 31 or else, risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries.
After the deadline lapsed, the caretaker government formally initiated a nationwide campaign to expel illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans. While the move had prompted criticism from Afghanistan and human rights groups, the government refused to budge, insisting that it was not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
In a written reply submitted to the Senate, the interior ministry said that around 1.7 million illegal aliens are unlawfully living in the country, the majority of whom are Afghans,” Dawn newspaper reported.
“541,210 people have been sent back after the cabinet’s approval of the deportation plan for illegal residents,” the ministry said, adding that close to 1.15 million were still residing in the country.
The ministry said that continuous efforts were under way to identify and deport the remaining people. It further said that 271,985 people were repatriated via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 159,161 through Balochistan.
It added that a further 110,064 had also left the country.
