Thousands of Pakistanis Deported from Multiple Countries for Begging

Thousands of Pakistani nationals have been deported from various countries over involvement in begging, a parliamentary committee was informed.

According to reports, a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights was held under the chairmanship of Agha Rafiullah, where officials briefed members on migration-related issues.

During the session, Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told the committee that around 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded from different countries during the current year. He said Saudi Arabia deported the largest number, sending back 24,000 Pakistani nationals for begging. The United Arab Emirates deported 6,000 Pakistanis on similar grounds, while Azerbaijan expelled approximately 2,500 individuals.

The FIA chief informed the committee that several passengers attempting to travel to Europe under the guise of performing Umrah were offloaded after evidence was found. He said some travellers possessed documents related to European destinations despite claiming they were travelling for Umrah, which raised suspicion and led to their removal from flights.

The committee was also briefed on irregular travel patterns to Southeast Asia. Officials stated that 24,000 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia this year, with 12,000 yet to return. Similarly, 4,000 Pakistanis travelled to Myanmar on tourist visas, of whom 2,500 have not returned so far.

The DG FIA noted that improved measures to curb illegal migration have positively impacted Pakistan’s global standing, raising the country’s passport ranking from 118 to 92. He added that Pakistan was previously among the top five countries for illegal migration but has now fallen out of that category due to enhanced enforcement and policy measures.

He further told the committee that 8,000 Pakistanis travelled illegally to Europe last year, a number that has dropped to 4,000 this year. Overall, Saudi Arabia has deported 56,000 Pakistani nationals for begging.

The committee was also informed that Dubai and Germany have granted visa-free entry to holders of Pakistani official passports.

Additionally, the DG FIA announced that the “E-Migration” application is expected to be launched by mid-January. Under the new system, travellers will be required to complete immigration clearance 24 hours prior to departure.

He also shared information received from Pakistan’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, who reported that some individuals are illegally travelling to Europe via Ethiopia and Zambia. In one instance, a fake football club arranged travel to Japan, including a physically disabled individual who was sent as part of the team.