Islamabad Police Cracks Down on Illegal Immigrants: 48 Hours to Relocate to Designated Camp
Islamabad police are directing illegal immigrants in Pakistan to relocate to a designated camp within 48 hours in an effort to address the issue of Afghan refugees. This move follows strict actions taken against those found without proper documentation. Additionally, a cooperative housing society in Islamabad is urging property owners to evict illegal foreigners to uphold the law.
Islamabad police have directed all illegal immigrants residing in Pakistan to voluntarily relocate to a designated camp within 48 hours, according to a report by Dawn. The camp, situated at I-12, has been established to address the presence of Afghan refugees in the country's capital city of Islamabad. For almost 25 years, over 5000 Afghan refugees have called the regions of H-12 and I-12 their home.
In an effort to address the issue, the police have requested the illegal immigrants to move to the new camp, which has been set up on humanitarian grounds. To identify individuals without legal documents, Pakistani police have completed the e-tagging process for foreigners residing in the capital. This data will enable law enforcement agencies to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. The police have taken strict action against those found to be staying without proper documentation, with three new cases registered and five foreign nationals arrested in Islamabad alone.
It was reported that three illegal foreigners were apprehended by the Karachi Company police in G-9/4, while another was caught during an anti-social elements crackdown by the Koral police in Sharifabad. These individuals were unable to produce valid documents proving their legal status, resulting in their arrest and the initiation of legal proceedings under the Foreigners' Act. According to the police, out of the 1,172 foreigners whose statuses have been verified so far, 511 failed to produce the necessary legal documents.
As a result, these individuals were arrested, and 69 cases have been registered against foreigners in various police stations. Meanwhile, a cooperative housing society in Islamabad has enforced a policy urging property owners to vacate flats and houses rented out to any illegal foreigner, as per government directives. The move highlights the government's determination to tackle the issue of illegal immigration and ensure that the law is upheld.