Due to a lack of education in general and a specific lack of communication skills, especially in foreign languages, many Pakistani Christians seeking refuge in America or Europe wind up being stuck in Thailand.  This is primarily because they fail to acquire refugee status from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  Unfortunately, many of these people, men, women and children, end up in detention cells suffering horrifying conditions as they await deportation. 

Recently, the Chairman of International Christian Voice, Mr. Peter Bhatti, explained that the problem is that Pakistani Christian asylum seekers have little education and often cannot explain what happened to them. Due to this they become confused during the UNHCR interview process and fail to give satisfactory answers.

In June of last tear the media gave brief coverage to the death of one such detainee. Christian “Shahid Latif” was only 33 years old when he died while detains as a result of untreated disease. The uncertain future for his family, lack of proper food and medical assistance were all factors in his untimely death, leaving his family behind in a limbo.

Another Pakistani Christian dies and another family is ruined. Thailand has been well known for tourism but from now on it will be remembered as the silent graveyard for Pakistani Christians as well. In recent months we have seen several innocent Pakistani Christians dying in Thailand who came here with the hopes of being heard and protected but all what they faced is fear, mental torture, injustice and fake promises.

Due to the intense persecution faced by Pakistani Christians each day, many have decided to leave their homeland to find refuge in a foreign country, but the end result is that hundreds of Pakistani Christians who have left everything behind are stranded in Thailand as facing detentions and deportations.

Recently there have been several attempts by the Thai police to crackdown on the Pakistani asylum seekers community. Many fear that them being arrested means the end to their pursuit of better lives in a third country and the beginning of months if not years in detention.