ISLAMABAD: Over 250,000 illegal Pakistani immigrants have been deported back to the country between January 2009 and October 2014, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

Among these, the highest number of deportees came from Saudi Arabia, the second highest from Iran, while 36,371 were deported from the UAE.

An FO official said that most of the individuals deported from Saudi Arabia and UAE were job-seekers or businessmen, “whereas the majority of deportees from Iran are people who were using that country as a transit station, just like Greece.”

Deportations from Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, were attributed mainly to security-related issues in these countries.

FO data also indicates that a number of Pakistanis have been deported back from several non-traditional destinations, including Ukraine, Lithuania and Georgia.

In all, 253,894 illegal immigrants had been sent back to the country, according to data from December 2014.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Judicial infighting
03 Oct, 2024

Judicial infighting

As other state institutions grow more assertive, continued failure to present a united front will increasingly endanger SC's authority.
Iranian salvo
03 Oct, 2024

Iranian salvo

THE skies over Israel and the occupied territories lit up on Tuesday evening, as a barrage of Iranian missiles tried...
Chance to play well
03 Oct, 2024

Chance to play well

THE announcement came without warning very late on Tuesday night. Merely six months since his reappointment and 11...
Constitutional courts
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Constitutional courts

How can the govt expect any court established by it to be seen as fair and impartial?
Lebanon invasion
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Lebanon invasion

Hezbollah is at heart a guerrilla movement, and though it may be severely degraded, its cadres on the ground are not likely to be deterred.
Painful loop
02 Oct, 2024

Painful loop

PAKISTAN’S polio situation has drastically deteriorated with the country now reporting 24 cases this year — four...