Tazeen Akhtar | IslamabadThe European Union delegation who was visiting Pakistan to attend a business forum that was meant to discuss the potential of further enhancing the trade cooperation took interest to make this tour multipurpose and among other aims what could be more interesting and concerning for the Europeans than immigration from Pakistan, European countries are the least visa issuing states though.
Federal Investigation Agency welcomed a senior delegation at Islamabad International Airport, led by Mr. Peteris Ustubs, Director (Asia Pacific), Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), accompanied by H.E. Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the European Union in Pakistan and including other officials from EUD, FRONTEX and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
The delegation was received by Ms. Maham Khan, Deputy Director Immigration, Islamabad International Airport, who briefed the visitors on FIA Immigration’s departure and arrival operations, the functioning of the Second Line of border control, and the procedures in place for the dignified handling of returnees.
The delegation thereafter called upon Mr. Syed Aftab Gillani, Chief Executive Officer, Islamabad International Airport, who provided a comprehensive overview of overall airport operations.
The visiting delegation appreciated the measures undertaken by the Government of Pakistan and the FIA in curbing irregular migration, while at the same time ensuring smooth and convenient travel for bonafide passengers.
Here it is worth mentioning that no other country in the whole world is that concerned as the European Union is about Pakistani immigrants. There is no issue in Pakistan on the legal requirments for travel to EU but in many cases the missions in Islamabad reject the applications despite everything has been met according to the rules and regulations and many are off loaded at airports after hardly passing through the embassy visa sections.
It is not only in cases of first time visitors or tourists but the students having submitted fee to their EU universities are also treated like the same (illegal immigrants) while they lose their classes because of the hurdles in visa issue at the consul offices of the embassies.
Moreover in many cases , family reunion even has been made almost impossible. Another wrong doing that is common in the EU embassies is “No Response”. The applicant waits for long periods of time and the visa section neither issues the visa nor rejects the case , keeping passport bound in the draws of the visa officers.
Pakistan officials of all concerned departments should also raise these points than only be defensive before the EU officials.
