ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s caretaker interior minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti announced on Thursday the establishment of “holding centers” across the country to respectfully accommodate illegal immigrants with essential amenities before deporting them to their home nations.

Earlier this month, officials in Islamabad set November 1 as the final deadline for the voluntary departure of unauthorized foreigners, following a spike in militant attacks predominantly attributed to Afghan nationals.

The uptick in militant activities was followed by arrests of Afghan nationals in places such as Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi where many detainees reported subpar, inhumane conditions in the prisons where they were being held.

Media reports also highlighted that a number of those apprehended by authorities were registered refugees carrying all requisite documentation.

“We are talking about illegal immigrants who have no travel documents and who have no justification to be [in Pakistan],” Bugti told a news conference in Islamabad. “We will deport them in the first stage. We have made holding centers for them. They will not be sent to local jails. They will be kept in the holding centers and will be sent out of Pakistan to their respective countries.”

The minister said these centers would provide people food and medical facilities. He also offered “full assurance” that women, children and elderly people would be kept respectfully at these facilities.

“At the same time, however, we will not compromise on the expulsion of illegal immigrants from Pakistan after November 1,” he continued.

Bugti said the foreign nationals would only be allowed to carry Rs50,000 ($180) per family while departing the country, adding that any other financial transfers could be done through banking or other official channels which were yet to be determined.

He also warned Pakistanis against facilitating illegal immigrants by employing them at agricultural lands or other places.

“This amounts to violating local laws and the government will take stern action against it,” he continued.

The minister promised to swiftly move against individuals who helped foreigner nationals get fake identity documents which were then made part of the country’s central database of citizens.

“They will be prosecuted, sent to jails and punished under the law,” he said.

Bugti reminded illegal immigrants Pakistan was giving them time to voluntarily return to their countries until November 1, adding they should avail the opportunity before the crackdown began against them.

He informed the government had already identified where most of these people were residing in the country.

“It is obvious that it is going to be a challenging task, but we are going to implement the deportation decision after November 1,” he added. “We are encouraging voluntary return since it will not cause too many hardships to these people. The ones who are caught in the crackdown may face problems.”