Islamabad: The Pakistan High Commission in London has said that it has no information regarding the whereabouts of more than 30,000 Pakistanis, who were not given the permission to stay in Britain.
For the first time, the chief immigration inspector of the UK Border Agency disclosed the existence of a backlog of more than 150,000 cases involving people, who were refused permission to stay in Britain.
According to official documents obtained, British chief inspector of immigration, John Vine, disclosed the existence of the UK Border Agency’s national “migration refusal pool” and expressed concerns that it was impossible to know whether the 150,000 were still in Britain or had left voluntarily.
Vine said in his report that the “migration refusal pool” concerned cases where applications, for instance from students, had been made to remain in the UK, were refused.
“Applicants are given notice that they must leave the UK within 28 days. The cases are officially described as work in progress,” the Daily Times quoted Vine, as saying.
UK officials said that the list includes people who have failed to leave Britain, those who have applied to stay under another category, those who have outstanding legal appeals, and those who have already left the country but by a route not covered by the e-borders computer database.
A large number of Pakistanis living in the UK have complained about the indifference of British diplomats who had no clue about the condition of the Pakistanis mentioned missing, or their general well-being and access to health care in the country.
ANI
First Published: Saturday, July 07, 2012, 15:33