ISLAMABAD, Dec 6 (APP): The Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) has been established at 26 entry and exit sites, and immigration check posts (air, land and sea) as part of Ministry of Interior’s efforts to control human trafficking.
The IBMS records entry of all travelers and maintains their travel data.
A Bio-metric Border Control System (BBCS) has also been installed on land routes between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, official sources said on Tuesday.
Listing the steps taken by present government to control the human trafficking, the sources said Anti-Human Trafficking Circles and Police Stations have been established in Five FIA Zonal Directorates to investigate and prosecute illegal migrants and travelers.
The other measures were establishment of Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), having representation from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies to control illegal migration across national borders, especially on Pak-Iran border through land and sea routes and establishment of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Link Office in Muscat, Oman which is now operational.
The official sources said this link office has helped substantially in reduction of human trafficking from Pakistan to Middle East while coordination with Foreign Immigration Liaison Officers has been ensured to prevent travel of passengers on fake documents.
Similarly, capacity building of FIA was being ensured by arranging courses at its Academy for investigators and immigration staff as well as participation in bilateral and multilateral groups.
Some other steps included snap checking by senior FIA officers to stop illegal immigration, establishment of Overseas Pakistanis Complaint Cell in FIA to redress complaints of overseas Pakistanis and introduction of Machine Readable Passports (MRPs), Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOPs), use of CCTV cameras and Forgery Detection Machines and Equipment.
With regard to coordination mechanism exists between Pakistan and various countries for deportation of illegal Pakistanis back to Pakistan, the sources said comprehensive policy/SOPs on deportation of Pakistanis has been launched under which no deportation is allowed without verification of national status by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Passport Office.
The sources said the requesting country makes a request for deportation of Pakistani nationals to Ministry of Interior through Pakistan’s Missions abroad and verification of nationality as well as traveling documents is carried out either by Pakistan Missions abroad through their desks of NADRA and Immigration & Passport or by Ministry of Interior.
The verified cases are issued Emergency Travel Documents (ETD) by Pakistan Missions abroad and upon their arrival in Pakistan, they are interviewed and investigated by FIA immigration officers as per their own SOPs.
The sources said deportees from European Union (EU) are handled under an agreement titled “European Union Readmission Agreement (EURA) signed with European countries for deportation of Pakistanis while the deportees from United Kingdom (UK) are dealt with under a bilateral Implementing Protocol on Readmission between Pakistan and UK signed in September this year.
The record of deportees is maintained in IBMS system as well as in deportees’ registers at Airports and Anti Human Trafficking Circles.
