Fifty-two Pakistani immigrants deported by the United States arrived at the Islamabad airport on a special flight on Thursday hours before US President Donald Trump unveils his plan to implement stricter border security measures, Dawn reported. Trump is attempting to overhaul the immigration system by favouring applicants who are well-educated, speak English, and have job offers, according to Reuters.

The main objective of Trump’s immigration plan is ensuring that the United States controls who gets entry into the country. The new initiative will focus on curbing family-based immigration to the United States by favouring employment skill-based immigration, according to National Public Radio.

On Tuesday, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that the 53 Pakistanis had been detained for flouting immigration rules, criminal conduct, and other serious charges, PTI reported. However, one of them could not be deported because of ill health.

In April, the Trump administration had threatened to suspend or limit the entry of individuals from other countries, Time reported. The US president then signed a memo instructing his administration to minimise overstays. The Pakistanis were deported as part of this larger crackdown on immigrants, according to Dawn.

Meanwhile, nine Pakistanis deported by Greece were taken into custody and moved to Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell after they touched down in the capital. They are in judicial custody at present and are awaiting legal proceedings to begin.