Islamabad:
Up to 135,000 Pakistani have requested political asylum in Europe and the United States over the past two years, a senatorial committee has been informed on Tuesday. The figure includes 125,000 asylum applications in different European countries and more than 10,000 in the United States.
The surprising revelations were shared by the Director General of Passports at a meeting of the Permanent Senatorial Committee of Foreign Pakistani, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada.
The DG has informed legislators that more than 52,000 Pakistanis have been expelled in the past two years. Iran alone expelled 34,000 Pakistani nationals trying to illegally enter the country, while Saudi Arabia expelled 5,000 Pakistani citizens involved in begging.
Saudi Arabia has also reduced its working visa quota for Pakistanis and tightened the criteria for visas issuing. Meanwhile, several countries, including water, Italy, the United Kingdom and other European nations, have suspended student visa programs for Pakistani candidates.
Managers of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani have confirmed these developments, adding that certain countries bypass legal proceedings by immediately restoring the Pakistanis under the provisions of the Passport Act, rather than imprisoning them.
The DG also revealed that the passports of expelled Pakistani have been blocked and that the people involved in criminal activities abroad are faced with strict legal consequences.
Despite these setbacks, officials said that more than 10.3 million qualified and professional Pakistani people continue to work abroad, contributing to the country’s economy thanks to funding.
