Bio Metric Verification Being Ensured For Every Emigrant: Senate Body Told

Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) Thursday informed the Senate committee concerned that the bio metric verification of 99.65 per cent emigrants was ensured at various protectorate centers during this year to avoid their exploitation at the hands of foreign job promoters

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2019 ) :Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) Thursday informed the Senate committee concerned that the bio metric verification of 99.65 per cent emigrants was ensured at various protectorate centers during this year to avoid their exploitation at the hands of foreign job promoters.

Only 0.35 per cent of outgoing manpower was not being verified due to vague finger prints, BEOE Director General (DG) Kahif Noor told the senate body in response to the senators' concerns which they expressed on a recent report launched by Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) .

The meeting which met here under the chairmanship of Senator Hilal- ur-Rehman was attended by senators, Sassui Palijo, Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Nighat Mirza, Dr Shahzad Waseem, Shaheen Khalid Butt and senior officials from the ministry of overseas and its attached departments and Foreign Office.

Quoting the JPP's survey, conducted by a non-governmental organization, Sassui Palijo said the report highlighted the lacunas in the country's migration laws and pointed out the knacks of unauthorized intermediaries in recruitment process for blue-collar workers.

She underlined the need to make necessary amendments in the Emigration Ordinance, 1979 to ensure safe and secure migration of emigrants working in different countries and contributing a big in national economy.

The senator said the opposition was ready to work with the government to formulate a comprehensive legislation in this regard, urging the ministry officials to engage the civil societies.

She stressed on providing pre-departure briefing to the outgoing workers.

At this, Kashif Noor said the emigrants were being sensitized regarding rules and regulations of the host countries and documentaries were also being displayed at various airports for the purpose.

Sassui said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and interior ministry were needed to enhance the collaboration among them which was imperative to counter illegal human trafficking.

BEOE DG said they had recently inked a memorandum of understanding with FIA to exchange the information of departing Pakistani workers with the Bureau.

Addressing the OPF Managing Director Amir Sheikh, committee chairman said the 'Azad visa' procedure should also monitored as the JPP reports raised serious questions about it.

To this Amir Sheikh said there were factual mistakes in the report and a recent article written by the JPP executive director in a local paper was also distorted the actual facts.

He said the report blamed the BEOE for illegal migration but actually, the bureau had nothing to do with it.

He alleged that the civil societies sought the financial assistance only and said the JPJ did not contact the ministry to work for the welfare of overseas Pakistanis.

The committee chairman underscored the importance of ratifying the international conventions for protection of migrants' rights.

The Secretary of overseas ministry Pervaiz junejo said they had contacted the Ministry of Law and Justice and discussed the ways to place the relevant international conventions before the Parliament for approval.

"We are ready to work with the public representatives for the welfare of Pakistani Diaspora and welcome their worthy suggestions," he remarked.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office director general on East Asia and Pacific apprised the senate body over role of the foreign ministry in backdrop of New Zealand's terror incident.

The committee was informed about the measures taken by the government to facilitate the victims and their families in this regard.

According to the official sources, the BEOE launched the biometric verification at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi protectorates and had registered 130,000 workers during this year under the system.