Pakistan, EU reach consensus on deportation of migrants
Pakistan and the EU agree on procedures for verification, deportation and evidence sharing
DUNYA NEWS REPORT (HUMAIRA SAJID)
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and European Union settled all issues regarding deportees and have established an agreement to sort out differences over the issue of readmission of prohibited immigrants.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan endorsed and appreciated the EU’s acknowledgement of Pakistan’s reservations in the execution of EU Readmission Agreement EURA agreement. The minister for interior said that illegal immigration posed problems not only for the EU countries but it was also a source of embarrassment and concern for Pakistan. Admiring the EU’s struggle for the mutual understanding of Islamabad’s concerns, he said that this would offer a good platform for Pakistan and the EU to work in concert with greater harmonization and skills in this area.
On 7th October 2010 the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reached the Agreement on readmission of persons residing without authorization. The Agreement concluded between the European Union (EU) and Pakistan laying down the principle of systematic return of Pakistani nationals residing without authorization in a Member State and vice versa.
According to reports, Pakistan and the European Union reached an understanding at a recent meeting of the Joint Readmission Committee (JRC) in Brussels on procedures for verification, deportation and evidence sharing. The European Union has assured to address reservations of Pakistan about the deportees and will follow the mechanism developed by the Interior Ministry for confirmation of the deportees’ nationality and their return.
The sources report that the European Union will also share the evidence beforehand with Pakistan for deporting people on the basis of terrorism and other crimes. The meeting of the JRC took place following the decision taken for the same in the meeting between the Minister for Interior Nisar Ali khan and the EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos in November 2015 where the interior minister shared Pakistan’s serious concerns over the loopholes in the implementation of EURA, which seriously affected the fundamental rights and in some cases the dignity of Pakistani immigrants and refugees and stressed the need to immediately resolve the issues in the interest of both Pakistan and the EU.
While European Union welcomed the procedure developed by Pakistan for the transparent and speedy processing of the verification applications and Pakistan’s initiative of developing an electronic platform for the issuance of Emergency Travel Document to the verified deportees the EU also commended the steps taken by the interior ministry to check human trafficking and smugglers.
The meeting concluded with the both parties’ commitment of enhanced cooperation for managing current migration and security matters in order to take stronger action together to confront the dilemma.
The minister had announced suspension of EURA last year alleging that the accord was being “misused”. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, the Interior Minister said Pakistan has suspended readmission agreements with western countries, except the United Kingdom, because of "blatant misuse". He claimed most countries have been deporting illegal Pakistani citizens without proper verification, whereas readmission agreements states Pakistanis travelling illegally to any western country have to be deported only after thorough verification.
An interior ministry official familiar with the outcome of the meeting told the media representatives that “top EU officials have promised to address Pakistan’s concern [on the humiliation of Pakistani migrants in Europe].”
