Illegal Afghan citizens’ deportation

The Ministry of Interior has issued orders to the Punjab government to launch the second phase of the operation for the deportation of Afghan citizen card holders from April 15.

Federal Interior Secretary Aftab Durrani presided over the video link meeting along with Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin. The meeting was attended by top officials of the ministry.

Lists of Afghan Citizen Card Holders (ACC) will be provided to Punjab government by the Centre. The same will also be shared with the police and other law enforcement agencies.

Sources said that just like illegal foreigners and Afghan nationals were arrested and kept in holding centers set up in the districts and then deported, ACC card holders will also asked to go back to Afghanistan voluntarily first. Later, they will be arrested and deported.

They said that the data of Afghan citizen card holders is with the federal government, due to which the difficulties faced in the past in tracing illegal aliens will no longer exist.

On the occasion, a briefing was also given regarding the initiation of phase three in which Afghan POR (Proof of Residence) card holders will be deported.

The sources further said that more than 400,000 illegal foreign Afghans have been deported so far.