Pakistani authorities on Thursday sent back an airplane with deported migrants from Greece.
Earlier on Thursday, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) found 30 passengers on board to have been illegally deported from the European country. The plane from Greece landed at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International airport.
On the orders of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the FIA had stopped the ‘unverified deportees’ from leaving the plane after it landed earlier today.
The interior ministry said that Greek authorities had not provided proper documented proof of the passengers on board the charter flight being Pakistani citizens, and that it would not allow them to enter the country if their citizenship could not be confirmed.
After thorough verification of travel and citizenship documents, the FIA allowed 19 of the 49 passengers on board to disembark, sending the aircraft with the 30 illegally deported people back to Greece.
“Despite having settled all issues with the European Commissioner, Pakistani laws have been violated, which absolutely cannot be allowed,” Khan said.