National Assembly Standing Committee meeting focused extensively on new immigration developments in Spain, where officials reported that approximately 140,000 Pakistanis are currently residing.
A briefing revealed that the Community Welfare Attaché position in Spain remained vacant for six years before being restored. Officials noted that Spain recently introduced a policy benefiting migrants who entered the country before December 31, with the process running from April to June.
However, documentation challenges remain severe. Many applicants either have expired passports or have lost them, while others entered through irregular routes and lack entry stamps required by the National Police Bureau (Pakistan) for character certification.
Officials reported that the Pakistani embassy is assisting undocumented migrants with passport processing, but delays persist due to procedural requirements involving district-level certificates.
Briefings were also presented from community offices in Barcelona and Milan, where a surge in passport applications has been recorded since the immigration window opened. The committee directed authorities to accelerate document processing so migrants can benefit from the policy.
The chairman emphasized that the opportunity should not be wasted and instructed agencies to coordinate with the National Database and Registration Authority and relevant departments for faster service delivery.
