Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Thursday that the government has created ‘holding centres’, temporary camps to keep any illegal refugees who continue to stay in the country after November 1.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Bugti said that the plan to deal with illegal refugees who will stay in the country after the government’s deadline expires has been finalised.

The minister added that the illegal refugees will be kept in ‘holding centres’ instead of jails. He added that the centres have already been established and have been equipped to provide food and medical facilities to the refugees. He also added that the centres would allow the government to take care of women and children.

Bugti added that no country in the world allowed foreign citizens to stay in its country without documentation and the time would come when there would be no illegal refugees in Pakistan.

He said that illegal foreigners who return voluntarily would be ‘encouraged’ to do so. However, he also said that there would be ‘no compromise’ after November 1. He said that all illegal refugees in the country had been geo-tagged.

The minister further added that the refugees returning to Afghanistan will be allowed to carry AFN 50,000 with them. Bugti said that action will also be taken against people who facilitated illegal refugees in Pakistan.