Quetta, Nov 05: Pakistani guards patrolling a remote southwestern border town have foiled a bid by 43 Pakistani migrants to enter Iran illegally, an immigration official said today. The men were caught yesterday at Taftan, a remote border town about 700 km southwest of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, said the official, Musa Gul.
Gul gave no other details and said only that the arrested men were being questioned.
So far this year, Pakistani authorities have detained more than 2,500 people, many of them teenagers, for trying to enter Iran without visas. Pakistan's neighbour is on a major route for illegal migrants who try to travel to Europe and the Middle East in search of better job opportunities.
Pakistanis seeking jobs abroad often pay traffickers hundreds of Dollars, and sometimes several thousands, to help them. Nearly one-third of Pakistan's 147 million people earn less than 750 Rupees (USD 13) a month.
Bureau Report