Once again, Prime Minister Designate Anwaarul Haq Kakar has defended the government’s return of undocumented persons. No country can compromise its national security by accommodating such people indefinitely, he says.
In November, the caretakers began a nationwide campaign to remove illegal foreigners — most of whom are Afghans. The decision drew fire from Afghanistan, and other sources as well. But the government wouldn’t give an inch-it maintained that change was not aimed at any ethnic group.
The government estimates that the more than four million Afghans in Pakistan are mostly undocumented, with some 620 thousand of them being children. Across the Torkham and Chaman border crossings, thousands of Afghans have already returned home.
As early as last month, Army Chief General Asim Munir had said he agreed that illegal foreigners were “seriously undermining Pakistan’s security and economy”.
In an opinion piece in The Telegraph late on Sunday, Kakar says that over the last thirty or forty years, “as many as four and a half million migrants (about the population of Ireland)” have moved into Pakistan.
Some have no right to stay. Although not a signatory to the 1951 Convention on Refugees (and its 1967 Protocol), we have opened our arms and taken in the largest number of refugees.
But hospitality is in Pakistan’s blood. Not only have we and will continue to do our legal, moral, and humanitarian obligations but also offer aid based on friendship rather than formalities or official relations alone”.
The premier said, “A long, hard effort had been made to accommodate as many people as possible), with ample opportunity given for those without rights of residence to leave the country voluntarily when they were ready”.
However, despite repeated efforts to deport voluntarily and numerous attempts by the government at registration of those yet-to-be-registered illegals, a large number have stubbornly refused time after time not only to regularize their status but even acknowledge it.
He also stated that the entry of hard-working and law-abiding migrants had greatly benefited Pakistan, but just as staggering has been its socio-economic and security cost.
He explained that many work on the black market, paying no tax. They also depress salaries for legitimate workers and are vulnerable to exploitation by organized crime-which has disturbing links with terrorist organizations in this region.
Headed that since August 201, at least six Afghan nationals had carried out suicide attacks inside Pakistan in encounters with security forces, mainly on the border.
Any responsible government cannot ignore such concerns. Every time we raised this with the interim Afghan Government, they told us to ‘search inside.’ PM Kakar says we have now decided to put our house in order as they advise.
He did not name names when he said that the government’s hard work repatriating people had naturally attracted criticism from those who didn’t understand the history of this complex problem or failed to appreciate how much effort was put into trying to avoid forced deportation proceedings.
There is a lot of misinformation and unsubstantiated allegations floating around, especially on social media. In any such scheme, a small number of tough cases will always exist. He said that we felt and go on feeling a great responsibility for the welfare of all those being deported which is why officials handling this state program must treat deportees respectfully.
Kakar said the government’s focus was on voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation of individuals (along with their legally acquired assets), not deportation.
Kakar said that the government emphasized “voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation of individuals (with their legally acquired assets), not deportation”.
The man said that 93 percent of those who went back to Afghanistan voluntarily. He also said that in response the government had established 79 transit centers to provide free food, shelter, and medical care. Crossing points on the Pak-Afghan border are now open so they can come through easily, he added.
Quite a bit has been said about the dangers of persecution to those who go back. We treat this very seriously and feel reassured that those who are being exiled have strong ties with the authorities in Kabul and Kandahar by their tribal affiliations. The interim Afghan government has also expressed considerable concern about the well-being of returned Afghans, he added.
PM Kakar explained that the sudden departure of Western allies from Afghanistan in August last year had given rise to another wave of refugees.
Many hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals have crossed the border, saying their lives are threatened. Once again, we care about their well-being deeply; some do need protection.
He says that we will not deport groups such as musicians, journalists, and human rights activists at risk. But help is needed from other countries; he says.
He also pointed out that only 59,033 of the entries have been sent back from Pakistan; another group of 42,068 remain in midpoint and await being evacuated to the west. As for others who can’t make a compelling case before anyone here or abroad as deserving applications for settlement, they simply stay on illegally in this.
He said that today Pakistan was at a historical crossroads. This cannot be allowed to continue. We can no longer compromise our national security by accommodating such large numbers of illegal immigrants and illegals. These undocumented immigrants are compromising our national security; we can no longer afford to squander so much of the energy and resources of our land in this way. Our goal is a safer, calmer, and more prosperous Pakistan which will bring benefits not only for its people but also for all who live within the region or nearby.
