EU likely to deport tens of thousands of Pakistanis from Europe
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LONDON: With tens of thousands of migrants pouring into the continent from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan, Europe has firmed up plans to deport tens of thousands of illegal Pakistani migrants who have been seeking asylum in various countries of the region. With Pakistan enjoying relative political stability under Nawaz Sharif, the European Union feels that migrants from the south east country should make way for refugees with more legitimate asylum requests. As per a report in The Washington Post, the main driver behind the move against Pakistanis is to free up space and resources for the more 'deserving' refugees. The report further added that Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, was in Islamabad to deliver the message on the impending move.' However, it is not the first time Pakistanis are being pushed out by the EU - about 168,000 illegal Pakistani migrants were ordered to leave EU region between 2008 and 2014. The EU official stressed, however, that the agreement will not affect legal Pakistani migration. European countries admit about 50,000 Pakistanis annually for family reunification, guest-worker programs, higher education and other residency requests. Applications for those positions must be made in Pakistan, Reference: Washington post
