UK to ease visa policy to provide more opportunities to Pakistanis
By ANIWednesday, February 23, 2011
ISLAMABAD - The British government has softened its visa policy for Pakistani citizens to provide more opportunities for them in the United Kingdom, Immigration Minister Damian Green has said.
“We want the brightest and best Pakistanis to come to UK,” the Dawn quoted Green, as saying in a joint press conference with Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad.
Green said that business visas would be issued in five days, while normal visas would be granted in eight and 10 days.
He further made it clear that there was no tolerance for illegal immigrants in the UK, and said that strict action would be taken against offenders.
Meanwhile, Malik said that a special cell had been set up in collaboration with the police, Federal Investigation Agency and Coast Guards to address complaints of UK-based Pakistanis.
“The UK-based Pakistanis will register their complaints with this cell through email and telephone and strict action will be taken against persons found responsible,” Malik said.
He also asked people to point out agents who betrayed them and made false promises of sending them abroad through illegal means.
“There is zero tolerance for illegal migrants and they will be dealt with an iron hand,” the Minister said. (ANI)
