Illegal immigration from Pakistan to Iran rising

FIA Deputy Director Jawad Khan said on Tuesday that in 2016 Iran had intercepted and handed over 29,074 Pakistani nationals to authorities at the Pak-Iran border at Taftan.

'In 2015, Iran had arrested and handed over over 26,000 Pakistanis to the authorities at Pakistan-Iran border near Taftan,' he added.

He added it was a significant rise from 2014, when Iran had sent back 5,218 illegal Pakistani immigrants.

Every year, thousands of Pakistanis make attempts to enter Greece and Turkey for better working opportunities. Most of them are arrested in Iran and Turkey and sent back.

Human traffickers use both frequented and unfrequented routes along the 900-kilometre-long porous Pak-Iran border to sneak into Iran via Balochistan, the official said.

'We have only FIA personnel working at the Pak-Iran border crossing in Taftan and the rest of the border is not properly manned,' Khan added while explaining the geographical problems faced in curbing human trafficking.

'When arrested, victims also do not cooperate with us to pinpoint the gang of agents in Pakistan,' he said.

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