Pakistan to provide passports to 15,000 expats under Spain Regularisation Scheme

The Pakistan federal government has decided to assist Pakistani expats under the Spain Regularisation Scheme, which aims to regularise undocumented migrants. Around 15,000 Pakistanis are expected to benefit from the programme along with other nationalities.

High-Level Meeting

A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad, chaired by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Salik Hussain. The session reviewed progress on obtaining Spanish residency cards for Pakistani citizens.

Other attendees included:

• State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry
• Federal Interior Secretary
• Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis
• Director General FIA
• Additional Foreign Secretary
• Senior officials from NADRA and the passport department

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, Consul General in Barcelona Muhammad Ali Wazir, and the Community Welfare Attaché joined via video link.

Passport and Document Support

Salik Hussain said Pakistani citizens will be provided passports and other required documents within a week before registration under the scheme. He highlighted that nearly 15,000 Pakistanis are expected to benefit and thanked the Interior Ministry for its support.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stressed that issuing passports to overseas Pakistanis is a top priority. He instructed that passports must not be given to convicted or wanted individuals and called for additional staff at embassies to strengthen passport services.

Faster Verification Process

Naqvi also noted that the National Police Bureau has streamlined the verification process for character certificates, which are now issued on a priority basis.

Embassy and Consulate Coordination

Pakistan’s ambassador and the consul general in Barcelona said all institutions are working together to ensure timely availability of essential documents. They added that the process for both passports and character certificates has improved, with authority letters already issued to around 10,000 individuals.

Overall, the programme aims to make it easier for Pakistani expats in Spain to legalise their status quickly and efficiently.