Thousands of Pakistanis living illegally in Spain for years have pinned their hopes on a project launched by the government there in recent days.
The Spanish government has decided to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants living in the country, after which the Pakistani community there is seen to be active. Although this decision is a big opportunity, the legal and administrative steps required to benefit from it are causing confusion and anxiety for many people.
Under this project of the Spanish government, an estimated half a million people will be allowed to legally reside and work, including a large number of Pakistanis.
According to the Spanish Minister of Migration, this step is being taken keeping in mind human rights, social inclusion and economic needs as Spain is facing problems such as manpower shortage on one hand and an increasing elderly population on the other.
According to a government statement, to benefit from this scheme, the condition has been set that the applicant must have resided in Spain for at least five months and have a clean criminal record. It is expected that applications will be submitted starting in April and by the end of June.
However, the most important and mandatory document in this entire process has been declared the police character certificate. This is the paper that is forming the basis for entry into this legal scheme. The problem for Pakistani citizens is that the police character certificate is issued only by the police of the applicant’s native or permanent district in Pakistan.
To obtain this certificate, one must either be a Pakistani himself, or a close relative is entrusted with this responsibility by giving written permission.A large number of Pakistani citizens living in Spain have approached the consulate to obtain an authority letter.
Seeing this situation, the Pakistani diplomatic missions in Spain introduced an interim but practical solution. The Pakistani Embassy in Madrid and the Pakistani Consulate in Barcelona have decided to issue their own authority letters, which will be accepted by district police offices in Pakistan. This decision has facilitated thousands of Pakistanis.
To obtain an authority letter, the applicant has to go to the relevant Pakistani diplomatic mission. There, a specific form is filled, along with two passport-sized photographs, a copy of the national identity card or Pakistani passport. After verifying these documents, the diplomatic staff issues an authority letter, which clearly states the name of the person who is being authorized to obtain a police character certificate in Pakistan.
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