LONDON: The UK inked a major deal with Pakistan on Wednesday, under which foreign culprits and immigration malefactors from the UK can be returned to Pakistan.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel hailed the development on Twitter, saying that “I’m proud to have inked a new corner agreement with our Pakistani musketeers to return foreign culprits and immigration malefactors from the UK to Pakistan. This deal shows our#NewPlanForImmigration in action, as we deliver for the British people”.
????? BREAKING:
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) August 17, 2022
I'm proud to have signed a new landmark agreement with our Pakistani friends to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK to Pakistan.
This deal shows our #NewPlanForImmigration in action, as we deliver for the British people. pic.twitter.com/UBK7gZ7Z9X
“I make no reason for removing dangerous foreign culprits and immigration malefactors who have no right to remain in the UK. The British public has relatively correctly had enough of people abusing our laws and gaming the system so we can’t remove them,” the statement quoted Ms. Patel as saying.
“This agreement, which I’m proud to have inked with our Pakistani musketeers, shows the New Plan for Immigration in action and the government delivers.”
“Our new Borders Act will go further and help end the cycle of last- nanosecond claims and prayers that can delay disposals.”
A statement from the Pakistani High Commission said “ The agreement renews and updates, in a bilateral environment an earlier agreement between Pakistan and the European Community regarding readmission of persons abiding without authorization concluded in Oct 2009. The bilateral agreement was needed by the exit of the UK from the European Union. ”
A print twittered with the advertisement showed Ms. Patel at a signing form with Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar. A statement said the home clerk met with Mr. Khokhar and the Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, to subscribe to the complementary agreement.
Under the new plan, Pakistani citizens with no legal right to remain in the UK, including culprits, failed shelter campaigners and immigration male factors, will reportedly be removed.
The statement said Pakistan citizens make up the seventh largest number of foreign culprits in incarcerations in England and Wales totaling nearly 3pc of the foreign public lawbreaker population.
“The agreement underlines both countries ’ongoing commitment to diving into the issue of illegal migration and the significant pitfalls it poses to both nations. The agreement also includes ongoing work to ameliorate and expand UK- Pakistani law enforcement cooperation,” it said.
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Bad news for Pakistan
Though Pakistan has demanded a repatriation convention with the UK for times, this agreement falls short of that. Some attorneys see it as a blow to Pakistan, which may now see an affluence of deported culprits from the UK — indeed those who have no way visited Pakistan.
“This is a veritably negative step for Pakistan,” UK- grounded immigration law expert Mohammad Amjad told Dawn. “Last time, the Pakistani government was presented with this deal and refused to subscribe to it, because unnaturally it’ll allow serious culprits to be deported to Pakistan without critical information sharing. This will present huge problems for Pakistan.”
Mr. Amjad cited the case of Sohail Ayaz, a condemned pedophile and child abuser who was deported to Pakistan from the UK, but exploited the absence of an information-sharing medium and continued his felonious conditioning in Pakistan. In 2019, he was arrested for the rape and assault of up to 30 minors, despite being condemned for analogous offenses by a UK court in 2008.
He said “similar issues will increase. Some culprits may be deported who have no links to Pakistan, and they will pose indeed lesser trouble as they’ve no family network once they’re transferred back. The only devisee is the UK.”
The deal with Pakistan came after deals were inked with Albania and India last time, as well as Serbia and Nigeria this time. Pakistan’s deal appears analogous to the agreements inked with Albania, Serbia, and Nigeria where illegal emigrants and felonious malefactors will be removed from the UK.
The deal with India, still, was further a migration cooperation deal, which allowed youthful British and Indian citizens to work and live in each other’s countries.
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