US asks Pakistan to ink deportation procedure pact for citizens

Pakistan may soon be asked by the Government of the United States to ink a proposal aimed at formalising procedures to return deported Pakistani citizens from the United States.

Pakistan is expected to enter into first round of negotiations on an initial draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) proposed by Washington, reports the Express Tribune.

The draft of the proposal has been handed over to the Pakistan Foreign Office. Copies of the same have reportedly been forwarded to the Inter-Services Intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Interior Ministry to get their comments. Further negotiations will take place thereafter.

American law provides that if an individual is ordered removed from the country but they do not have travel documents - which people facing deportation often deliberately 'lose' - the authorities cannot deport them back to their home country. The same applies if a person's home country cannot be determined.

Since 2012, half-a-million Pakistanis have been deported from the United States.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required by the US laws to secure travel documents of the person ordered removed from the country before undertaking the process of physical deportation. Simply put, it usually means 'no passport - no deportation'.

The draft MoU, available with The Express Tribune says that the purpose of this agreement is "to cooperate on the efficient and timely issuance of travel documents for Pakistani nationals ordered removed from the United States".