On 17 August 2022, Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel signed a ‘reciprocal’ agreement which will return foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the United Kingdom to Pakistan.
The agreement apparently highlights both the United Kingdom’s and Pakistan’s continuing commitment in tackling the issue of illegal migration and the threats it poses to both countries. The agreement also includes ongoing work to improve and expand UK-Pakistani law enforcement cooperation although it is yet unclear what this work will be.
The Home Office said in a statement that Pakistani nationals make up the seventh largest number of foreign criminals in prisons in England and Wales, totalling nearly 3% of the foreign national offender population. This is now the fifth returns agreement the Home Secretary has signed in the last fifteen months under her ‘New Plan for Immigration’.
At Elaahi & Co Solicitors, we specialise in understanding complex legal rules and providing you with clear, sound and straightforward advice on how they apply to your case. If you need advice on your rights in light of this new deal, contact our expert team of immigration lawyers a call on 020 3930 3831. We are here to help you.
Photo: UK Home Secretary Priti Patel (L) and Pakistan Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar (R) — Photo courtesy Priti Patel Twitter
