Repatriation of Afghan immigrants continues

First caravan of illegal Afghan immigrants departs from the Karachi holding camp

KARACHI:

At least 300 illegal Afghan immigrants have been sent to the border town of Chaman in Balochistan so far from the holding centre at the old Haji Camp till Friday, said the focal person of the centre Zahoor Marri.

He said that at least 200 Afghan immigrants had expired Proof of Residence or the Afghan Citizen Card, while the remaining were undocumented.

Marri said around 200 illegal immigrants would be repatriated on Saturday.

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The first caravan of illegal Afghan immigrants had left for their home country from the holding camp in Karachi on Thursday.

The convoy comprising four buses, each carrying 30 passengers and three policemen, left for Chaman border in Balochistan from the holding camp established at the Old Haji Camp under tight security. Four police mobiles escort the buses all the way to the border. DC Iqbal, while talking to media representatives, said the immigrants get three meals a day, while medicine and doctors are also being provided in the holding camp.

Iqbal said an immigrant woman in the holding camp was pregnant, due to which her family was stopped from taking the long journey.

Operation in Sohrab Goth

On the day-three of the operation against illegal aliens, a heavy police contingent entered the Afghan locality near the Ganna Mandi or the sugarcane market in Sohrab Goth early on Friday morning.

Also read Operation launched against illegal aliens in Karachi

The area was cordoned off and people were asked to remain at home. Only policewomen entered the homes and questioned the families so as not to disturb the sanctity of the Afghan purdah.

At least a dozen families of undocumented Afghan people were moved to the holding centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2023.