Pakistan charging $830 fee to undocumented migrants

Pakistan charging $830 fee to undocumented migrant.

 BBC SAYS.

 Pakistan has confirmed that it is charging an $830 fee to undocumented migrants who want to leave the country.  Exit fees apply to those who arrived without a visa.

 In October, Pakistan announced that it would deport 1.7 million undocumented foreigners from the country if they did not leave by November 1.  Most are Afghans, including millions who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban regained power in 2021.

 Those whose visas have expired will depend on how long they have overstayed.  The exit fee does not apply to anyone returning to Afghanistan.

 According to groups such as Amnesty International, many Afghans arriving in Pakistan after Kabul

fell to the Taliban faced delays in obtaining documents.

 Pakistan is not a party to the Refugee Convention and has stated that it does not recognize any Afghan living within its borders as a refugee.

 A senior diplomat in Pakistan told the BBC that the fees were particularly worrying when they were being applied to people being transferred on humanitarian grounds.

 "In many countries, if you overstay your visa you have to pay or you're kicked out," he said.

 "The issue is receiving the people we're taking visas on humanitarian grounds. Not necessarily people we're taking because they've worked for us, but what UNHCR sees as a humanitarian need.  It sets a very bad precedent."

 The diplomat said there were some early signs that the government might revise the policy, which he said was encouraging.

 Pakistani officials did not discuss the possibility of a review with the BBC.

 UNHCR told the BBC it was trying to resolve the issue.

 "We are advocating for the authorities to exempt refugees from these requirements.

 "The government and people of Pakistan have a decades-long history of providing asylum and protection to Afghan refugees, which needs to continue."

 "Pakistani laws, like the immigration laws of other countries, including the UK, have fines and penalties for people who overstay their visas or violate immigration laws," a spokesman for the country's foreign ministry said.

 "Any penalty that Pakistan has imposed or will impose is in accordance with our laws."

 Overview of the problem

 Pakistan's policy of charging undocumented migrants an $830 fee is a controversial issue.  Some believe the fee is too high for those who are already struggling financially.  Others believe that the fee is a necessary precaution