UK inks deal to return ‘criminals’ to Pakistan

LONDON: On Wednesday, the UK and Pakistan inked a significant agreement that permits the return of foreign criminals and immigration offenders to Pakistan.

“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,” tweeted UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in response to the news. This agreement demonstrates how we are delivering for the British people under our #NewPlanForImmigration.

“Removing dangerous foreign criminals and immigration offenders who have no right to stay in the UK is something I do not regret.” The statement cited Ms. Patel as saying, “The British public has quite rightly had enough of people abusing our laws and gaming the system so we can’t remove them.”

“I am pleased to have signed this agreement with our Pakistani friends, which demonstrates the government’s implementation of the New Plan for Immigration.”

According to a legal expert, the deal will enable Britain to deport “unwanted persons,” including those with no connection to Pakistan.

“More specifically, our new Borders Act will help break the cycle of last-minute appeals and claims that can cause delays in removals.”

“The agreement renews and updates, in a bilateral context, an earlier agreement between Pakistan and the European Community regarding readmission of persons residing without authorization concluded in October 2009,” the Pakistani High Commission stated in a statement. The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union made the bilateral deal necessary.”

Ms. Patel was pictured at a signing ceremony with Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar in a photo that was tweeted along with the news. According to a statement, the home secretary signed the reciprocal agreement with Mr. Khokhar and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Moazzam Ahmad Khan.

According to the new plan, Pakistani nationals who are illegally in the UK, such as criminals, unsuccessful asylum seekers, and immigration violators, will be expelled.

According to the statement, Pakistanis account for approximately 3 percent of all foreign national offenders and are the seventh-largest group of foreign criminals incarcerated in England and Wales.

The agreement emphasises the continued commitment of both governments to address the problem of illegal migration and the serious risks it brings to their respective countries. It stated that “continuous efforts to enhance and broaden UK-Pakistani law enforcement cooperation are also included in the agreement.”

Not good news for Pakistan

This arrangement falls short of the extradition pact that Pakistan has long desired from the UK. A number of attorneys saw it as a setback for Pakistan, as it might potentially witness a surge in criminals deported from the UK, including individuals who have never been to Pakistan.

“This is a very bad step for Pakistan,” Mohammad Amjad, an immigration law expert from the UK, told Dawn. “This agreement was offered to the Pakistani government last year, but they declined to sign it since, at its core, it would permit the deportation of dangerous criminals to Pakistan without the exchange of vital information. Pakistan will face severe issues as a result of this.

Mr. Amjad brought up the example of Sohail Ayaz, a deported British paedophile and child abuser who took advantage of the lack of an information-sharing system to carry out his illegal acts in Pakistan. Despite being found guilty of identical charges by a UK court in 2008, he was arrested in 2019 for the rape and assault of up to thirty kids.

“Such issues will increase,” he declared. Certain offenders who have no ties to Pakistan might be deported; once they are returned, they won’t have any family networks to rely on, making them an even bigger menace. The United Kingdom is the lone winner.

Following agreements with Nigeria, Serbia, and India this year, as well as Albania and India last year, followed the agreement with Pakistan. Pakistan’s agreement seems to be comparable to those struck with Serbia, Nigeria, Albania, and the UK on the expulsion of criminals and illegal immigrants.

On the other hand, the agreement with India was more akin to a partnership in migration, permitting young people from both India and Britain to live and work in each other’s nations.

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