Questions raised over UK-Pakistan Immigration return deal

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LONDON, August 18(ABC): The British government has signed a new agreement under which foreign criminals and immigration offenders will be returned from the United Kingdom to Pakistan.

Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the development on Wednesday after signing the new deal with Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and the Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan.

A Pakistan High Commission spokesman told that it is a reciprocal agreement and applies equally to both countries.

This is the fifth returns agreement the UK Home Office has signed in 15 months under its “New Plan for Immigration”. The UK has signed similar agreements with India, Nigeria, and Albania.

The implementation of the new policy will not focus on those Pakistani who are dual nationals — carrying both Pakistani and British identities.

The new policy, diplomats have told Geo News, will affect those Pakistani passport holders who are either involved in immigration offences or organised crimes, including sex grooming and paedophilia.