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Nearly 29,000 Pakistani nationals, attempting to enter Europe, were intercepted by Iran and handed over to authorities in Pakistan in 2016.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Deputy Director Jawad Khan on Tuesday said in 2016 Iran had intercepted and handed over 29,074 Pakistani nationals to authorities at the Pak-Iran border at Taftan.
Thousands of Pakistanis fleeing poverty, unemployment and law and order problems have been attempting to illegally enter Europe.
Every year, thousands of Pakistan make abortive attempts to enter Greece via Iran and Turkey for better working opportunities. Most of them are arrested in Iran and Turkey and sent back.
Separately, the FIA, Frontier Corps (FC), Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies intercepted 8,512 Pakistani nationals who were trying to enter Iran illegally during the year 2016, Khan said.
The numbers show that the influx of illegal immigrants from Pakistani into Iran had increased since 2015-16. In 2015, Iran had arrested and handed over more than 26,000 Pakistanis to authorities at Pak-Iran border Taftan.
That was a significant rise from 2014, when Iran had sent back 5,218 illegal Pakistani immigrants, the Deputy Director FIA revealed.
Human traffickers used both frequented and unfrequented routes along the 900-kilometre-long porous Pak-Iran border to sneak into Iran via Balochistan, the official said.
In 2005, Pakistan had established an inter-agency task force comprising FIA, FC, Coast Guard, Levies forces and police to tackle human trafficking.
"We have only FIA personnel working at the Pak-Iran border crossing in Taftan and the rest of the border is not properly manned," Khan added while explaining the geographical problems faced in curbing human trafficking.
"When arrested, victims also do not cooperate with us to pinpoint the gang of agents," he said.
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Comments (51) Closed
May 16, 2017 03:52pm
and as soon as they will reach back home they will wait only to gather the money to sell their assets or organs to finance the same journey via Iran to Europe this is a black market like narcotics with proper network and lot of money involved throughout the WORLD. In the same way high profitability comes from risking the life but who cares for the life and it is impossible to convince these people who have the illusion of Europe with free money and free ..... ending up doing odd jobs and living as illegals but who cares as this is amazing to tell at home that our son is settled in Europe lol
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May 16, 2017 03:56pm
What else can they do?
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May 16, 2017 03:59pm
An unfortunate situation.
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May 16, 2017 04:02pm
The condition has become unbearable in the country for common person they have no choice but to run away from the country.
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May 16, 2017 04:08pm
Most of these men are pleasure seekers. For financial gains they would have opted for countries where many Europeans are coming for the purpose.
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May 16, 2017 04:27pm
@Iftikhar Husain Are you sure that those who are embarking journey to Europe on foot have such thoughts? Respected sir it has nothing to do with the situation at the country it is illusion, lust and our typical non rational mindset. Each thing has some solution except illusion and stubbornness. To sleep under bridges to hide from police to do all possible odd jobs to paddle drugs to survive on alms. Please we do not have right situation at home but at least I do not blame at all situation at home for this
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May 16, 2017 04:28pm
@Abdulla Hussain .. You mean poor people fleeing abject poverty and no law and order are pleasure seekers? I pray that people like yourself get to run Pakistan in the future.
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May 16, 2017 04:30pm
@Abdulla Hussain what an illiterate person can do and earn? Such people can at the best work as cheap labor and that is what they are doing. People who opt for Europe are even the worse as they are not even ready to do physical work but want to survive on social security and have lot of free .....
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May 16, 2017 04:34pm
@Another indian yeas they are pleasure seekers there is no doubt in it. They travel to Europe under the illusion that they will get all what is bared by law of country and due to social pressure. I wish you travel across the Europe and see what sort of lives such people are having. I do not drink at home so I do not drink in Europe but first thing they buy when land is some drink. Just scroll the number of people in jails and then see the nature of crimes
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May 16, 2017 04:35pm
Most of them are Afghans from refugee camps with fake travel documents.
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May 16, 2017 04:40pm
Corruption responsible for migration
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May 16, 2017 04:55pm
@Saif zulfiqar, new theory but, now don't blame other for their fake travel documents.
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May 16, 2017 05:03pm
@WARIS The real theory is like this. Registered Afghan refugees with proper documentation at Pakistan with family settled in Pakistan declare themselves asylum seekers from Afghanistan by hiding their Pakistan link as it makes their case strong. Real twist comes when they need to travel back to Pakistan to meet their families then comes Pakistan in the picture back. Many proper Pakistani residents of Pukhtoon origin shed their Pakistani nationality and declare them from Afghanistan in the pursuit of Europe. But even then I would say you are right it is responsibility of country to stop such practices as in the end it is country which suffers
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May 16, 2017 05:09pm
@Jagga No, not corruption, they miss general education, normal education like any other country.
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May 16, 2017 05:23pm
@Nomi Goraya "espected sir it has nothing to do with the situation at the country it is illusion, lust and our typical non rational mindset. " - Yes Pakistan is best country in world to live in
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May 16, 2017 05:26pm
Europe's direction is getting worse when it comes to economy, unemployment political instability. These people who are seeing to get in should stop living in delusional world. Pakistan and Asia in general is the best place right now and people know how to enjoy their life.
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May 16, 2017 05:30pm
Interesting to see Indians in comments under Pakistani names bashing Pakistan. Pakistan's middle and upper class is 80 million plus according to wall street journal, its economy and security have improved rapidly.
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May 16, 2017 05:51pm
@HAWK36 may be not THE BEST but surely among THE BEST and the best part is situation is improving and sure it will be THE BEST very soon
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May 16, 2017 05:58pm
Very unfortunate. Many of us from the subcontinent go to Europe and Gulf countries, seeking greener pastures. On reaching there, they are treated as slaves with passports seized by their employers.The embassy conveniently wash their hands off. Some of them end up committing suicide or kill out out of desperation. Even though poor, your own country is 100 times better than these goras and sheikhs.
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May 16, 2017 06:22pm
Proper methods need to put in place to educate and help these people get rid of poverty. with raheel in middle eastern countries something should be done to accomodate these people to get jobs in foreign land
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May 16, 2017 06:37pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad You are the doctor; why don't you suggest some remedy?
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May 16, 2017 06:41pm
@Nomi Goraya When CPEC is complete, please let us all know.
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May 16, 2017 07:09pm
@PKMKC "when CPEC is complete, please let us all know."
I was wondering when some Indian troll would bring up CPEC in this discussion. The Indians appear to be completely and utterly transfixed by CPEC. This is going beyond comical .
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May 16, 2017 07:33pm
Please use this information that in IRAN, there are Afghanis on similar footsteps as they are in Pakistan, and 80% they are in Labor class. PLus dont forget that most of them have no barrier in speaking Persian as Afghanis speak Darri, which is similar to Persian.
so i don't find any excuse why would Afghanis travel on Pakistan documents... Cases can be there but it can not be masses.
Additionally i am currently living in IRAN, so can better correlate the things. IRAN is a beautiful country to visit. nothing like what Media has portrayed. Both the countries have alot similarities but yet so far.
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May 16, 2017 07:34pm
Please note my simple comment. Pakistan have huge quantiy of cotton textiles, home appliances,sophisticated carpets, garments, surplus food item (I.e onions ,khajor,rice ,wheat, rice,sugarcane,bajra etc), marbles ,cement etc And India have cheap electricity, steel, coal and other products etc etc .let info -pak do some free trade and mostly solve kashMir problem. See it will not solve all problem but can minimize our problem in huge quantity.
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May 16, 2017 07:45pm
@omveer brother I am completely agree on your comments. USA and Western countries are using India and Pakistan against each other.many politicians and people from both countries are fool.
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May 16, 2017 07:48pm
No proper and strict border controls. Thats The reason Pakistan has always been a soft target for foreign terrorists and illegal immigrants. People can easily leave Pakistan or enter into Pakistan illegally through these border security loopholes and create Big troubles. Unfortunately no effective steps have yet been taken by The Government to control and solve this serious problem.
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May 16, 2017 08:48pm
The correct question is how 29000 people crossed the border without the authorities noticing ...who is accountable here?
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May 16, 2017 09:18pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
They can work towards making Pakistan great again.
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May 16, 2017 10:05pm
@Nomi Goraya: Meaning most are not going for financial reasons besides immigrants cannot enjoy social security right away, it takes long time.
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May 16, 2017 11:56pm
@Iftikhar Husain
Conditions are so unbearable, are they?
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May 17, 2017 12:18am
@Abdulla Hussain I like the way you enjoy social security
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May 17, 2017 12:23am
After CPEC get completely operational in near future , Each Pakistani will become rich enough to higher workers from Europe. Means situation will be opposite what is today . CPEC is " game changer " , it will make Pakistan rich , poverty free , unemployment free etc nation.
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May 17, 2017 12:30am
Perhaps these peoples don't know about benefits of CPEC , the game changer in Pakistan of 21st century.
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May 17, 2017 12:46am
these are the ones who were caught . how many others would there be
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May 17, 2017 12:53am
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad they should wait for the trickle down effects of CPEC
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May 17, 2017 01:27am
That is how bad the situation in Pakistan is.
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May 17, 2017 03:31am
I live and study in europe and thank God im gonna return back to Pakistan in some time because Europe is cool but not ''Home'' .... there are opportunities here but not as much as for everybody... if you are an IT specialist or docter or sth related to that then u r cool itherwise ur just a cheap worker destined to be exploited... yea after 20 yrs or sth like that u get some money and then u can brag about that... but its too late... hair grey eyes red and ...
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May 17, 2017 03:34am
Lol,CPEC is coming,rolf
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May 17, 2017 03:54am
AliBaba will solve all your problems. they need cleaners. LMAO.
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May 17, 2017 04:39am
Why do they go to Europe? Why not to China as they can directly jump the fence and be in China. Anyway our iron brother is readily accepts all of us.
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May 17, 2017 06:03am
The relevant LEAs must aware the youths through PTV, discouraging illegal immigration,and they must be directed to contact Ministry of Overseas Pak
and be recruited in legal way.
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May 17, 2017 06:24am
They must have used CPEC to enter Iran and then Europe
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May 17, 2017 06:30am
CPEC - With iron brother China and CPEC, European will come to Pak via Iran.
Just wait and see!!!
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May 17, 2017 06:42am
These losses don't know that CPEC is coming. Then they will be struggling to enter Pakistan
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May 17, 2017 07:06am
I'm surprised why any Pakistani will want to leave the country. Let CPEC start, and Pakistan will become the Switzerland of Asia
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May 17, 2017 07:28am
@Saif zulfiqar
whatever
who told you they are Afghans when Iran has arrested and interrogated them
you seem to have such great inside information
impressive to the extent that I cant stop laughing
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May 17, 2017 07:45am
@INDIAN LOVE ..."Perhaps these peoples don't know about benefits of CPEC , the game changer in Pakistan of 21st century."
Or perhaps they do...that's why choosing a better future for themselves and their future generations.
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May 17, 2017 08:29am
Government of Pakistan should be ashamed of it.
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May 17, 2017 07:02pm
@SATYANAAs True.If Cpec benefits Pakistan so be it.No one can stop it. But if this is the situation in Pakistan then how can India be berated for its poverty and lack of sanitation?
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May 17, 2017 09:05pm
Let the CPEC complete, European and American will to Pakistan for job because by then Pakistan will become the richest country in the world with a status of superpower.
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