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Pakistan Immigration Detention

Quick Facts

International migrants (2015): 3,629,000
New asylum applications (2016): 6,302

Centres List

No detention centres data available

Statistics Expand all



80,169

Criminal prison population

2015

  • Criminal prison population
NumberObservation Date
80,1692015
74,9442012
75,5862010
95,0162007
89,3702005
90,0002002
74,4851999
72,7001996
68,4531993


1.2

Percentage of foreign prisoners

2007

  • Percentage of foreign prisoners
PercentageObservation Date
1.22007


43

Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)

2015

  • Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
NumberObservation Date
432015
412012
432010
582007
572005
602002
541999
561996
581993


188,925,000

Population

2015

  • Population
NumberObservation Date
188,925,0002015


3,629,000

International migrants

2015

  • International migrants
NumberObservation Date
3,629,0002015


1.9

International migrants as a percentage of the population

2015

  • International migrants as a percentage of the population
PercentageObservation Date
1.92015


1,404,019

Refugees

2018

  • Refugees
NumberObservation Date
1,404,0192018
1,393,1432017
1,352,5512016
1,561,1622015
1,505,5252014


7.01

Ratio of refugees per 1000 inhabitants

2016

  • Ratio of refugees per 1000 inhabitants
NumberObservation Date
7.012016
8.142014


6,302

Total number of new asylum applications

2016

  • Total number of new asylum applications
NumberObservation Date
6,3022016
5,8182014


37

Refugee recognition rate

2014

  • Refugee recognition rate
NumberObservation Date
372014


0

Stateless persons

2016

  • Stateless persons
NumberObservation Date
02016
02015

Domestic Law Expand all

Legal tradition Show sources
NameObservation Date
Muslim law2017
Common law2017

B. LAWS AND REGULATIONS

C. GROUNDS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE IMMIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

D. CRIMINALIZATION OF IMMIGRATION-RELATED OFFENCES

E. LENGTH OF DETENTION

F. PROCEDURAL STANDARDS

G. NON-CUSTODIAL MEASURES (ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION)

H. VULNERABLE PERSONS

I. MANDATORY DETENTION

J. EXPEDITED REMOVAL AND RE-ENTRY BAN

Latest Update Show sources
Update StatusObservation Date
There are reports indicating that Pakistani authorities have taken some steps to mitigate the impact of the virus on the country’s prison population, which includes non-citizen detainees imprisoned under the 1946 Foreigners Act. The government has suspended visits to penitentiaries and court hearings. On 16 March, the Sindh provincial government began screening inmates and prison staff for Covid-19, while the Punjab government announced that it was creating isolation centres for prisoners. However, critical concerns remain and there is increasing pressure to implement additional measures as the crisis becomes more acute. On 19 March, Human Rights Watch amplified calls to protect prisoners, urging the country’s authorities to take urgent steps to ensure that prisoners and detainees have access to adequate medical care and protective measures against Covid-19. Amnesty International and Justice Project Pakistan also urged authorities to take measures to protect prisoners. The Justice Project Pakistan urged the government to “devise a coherent approach to protecting its prison population, currently at over 77,000 individuals. Should the government fail to act now, Pakistani prisons and detention centres will become epicentres for the transmission of Covid-19.” On 24 March 2020, the first case of Covid-19 within a prison was confirmed. On the same day, the Islamabad High Court ordered the release of hundreds of prisoners involved in petty crimes on bail, in a bid to reduce the hazards of the Covid-19 outbreak in jails. Since then, several provincial governments have ordered the release of prisoners: on 28 March, the Punjab government’s Home Department announced that it would be releasing 20,000 prisoners out of 46,000 from the 41 jails across the province (and bail applications have been made for prisoners who committed petty crimes and for those over the age of 60); and on 30 March, the Sindh government approved the temporary release for three months of around 4,000 prisoners. (Government officials hinted that drug smugglers and those convicted of terrorism may not be released. Prisoners convicted of “minor” crimes would be eligible for temporary release. It was reported that there were around 16,024 prisoners for 13,538 places in all prisons across the Sindh). The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also announced that they would release prisoners 60 days early.2020

International Law Expand all

International treaties Show sources
NameRatification Year
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations1969
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child2011
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2011
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2010
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment2010
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2008
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women1996
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination1966
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
  8/19
Ratio of complaints procedures accepted Show sources
NumberObservation Date
0/72017

2. Regional treaties, regulations, and directives

Bilateral/multilateral agreements linked to readmission Show sources
NameYear in ForceObservation Date
EU20102017

Relevant recommendations of the UN Universal Periodic Review Show sources
Recomendation IssuedYear IssuedObservation Date
No20082017
No20122017

Socio Economic Data Expand all

Gross Domestic Product per capita (in USD) Show sources
Gross Domestic Product per capita (in USD)Observation Date
1,3162014
Remittances to the country Show sources
Remittances to the country (in millions USD)Observation Date
17,0602014
Unemployment Rate Show sources
Unemployment RateObservation Date
2014
Net official development assistance (ODA) (in millions USD)
Net official development assistance (ODA) (in USD)Observation Date
3,611.92014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP) Show sources
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)UNDP four-tiered rankingObservation Date
147Low2015

Pew Global Attitudes Poll on Immigration Show sources
% who agree with the statement “We should restrict and control entry of people into our country more than we do now.”Observation Date
702007

Country Links

 

Government Agencies

Ministry of Human Rights: http://www.mohr.gov.pk/
Ministry of Law and Justice: http://www.molaw.gov.pk/

International Organisations

UNHCR Pakistan: http://unhcrpk.org/

IOM Pakistan: https://www.iom.int/pakistan

Media

Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

NGOs and Research Institutions

Refugee Rights Network Pakistan: http://rrnpk.org/

Pakistan International Human Rights Organization (PIHRO): http://pihro.org/

Additional Resources

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