30 unverified deportees sent back to Greece

Pakistan on Thursday sent back an aeroplane with deported migrants from Greece after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) found 30 passengers on-board to have been illegally deported from the European country. The FIA allowed only 19 passengers out of 49 to disembark from the plane after verifying their travel documents while they sent back the aircraft with 30 passengers as Greek authorities had not provided any documentary proof of these passengers, a senior official of the FIA said.
"Following the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration wing, did not allow the disembarking of 30 unverified deportees from the charted plane at Benazir Bhutto International Airport," he said. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior, Greece has sent deportees in violation of Pakistani laws despite an agreement with the European Union Commissioner in this regard. Some countries do not understand our determination to control this immoral, illegal and inhuman procedure.
The Ministry of Interior had also sent a letter to Canadian High Commission on December 2, for sending Pakistan deportees in violation of international law. Deportation of any Pakistani on travel documents issued by any other country and not by the government of Pakistan is not only the violation of international law but also a violation of human rights, says statement issued by Ministry of Interior while quoting the letter.
The Interior Minister on November 6 had announced the suspension readmission agreement with several EU countries except United Kingdom (UK). "Pakistan has temporarily suspended readmission agreement with many Western countries as they were misusing it by deporting Pakistanis without the verification of our relevant authorities," Khan said.
Pakistan had signed readmission agreement with EU countries in 2009 for the repatriation of illegal Pakistanis. Under readmission agreements, Pakistanis travelling illegally to any Western country were to be deported after proper verification. The minister said that most of signatory of readmission agreement are deporting illegal Pakistanis without verification by Pakistani authorities. Last year 90,000 Pakistanis were sent back to the country, he said.