Number of passport seekers surges by 166% as more Pakistanis look to migrate

ISLAMABAD: The number of passport seekers in Pakistan has surged by a record 166 per cent in the last four years, as more Pakistanis are looking to migrate from the country that is facing various challenges such as unemployment, inflation, and a shrinking market.

Consequently, the revenue of the Passport Office has also increased by 169 per cent due to the high demand for passports.

The Hum Investigation Team (HIT) obtained the details of the passports issued, visa extensions granted, and Pakistani citizenship conferred to non-residents in the last four years.

According to the documents, the income of the Passport Office rose from over Rs13 billion in 2020–21 to Rs22 billion in 2021–22, and reached Rs35 billion in 2022–23.

The documents also revealed that 12.8 million passports were issued in the last four years.

In 2020–21, 2.45 million people received passports; in 2021–22, nearly 4 million people obtained passports; and in 2022–23, 6.4 million people were issued passports.

Additionally, the documents show that 22,669 people got visa extensions in 2020–21, 3,232 in 2021–22, and 1,290 in 2022–23.

Furthermore, 16 people acquired Pakistani citizenship certificates in 2020–21, 36 in 2021–22 and 14 in 2022–23.

Thousands of Pakistani passports seized from Afghan nationals

According to the documents, 2,384 people relinquished their Pakistani citizenship in 2020–21; 2,301 in 2021–22, and 3,331 in 2022–23.

A total of 9,858 people were added to the Passport Control List (PCL) or Foreign Control List (FCL) in 2020–21; 9,043 in 2021–22, and 11,137 in 2022–23.

On the other hand, a total of 3,505 people were removed from the PCL or FCL in 2020–21; 1,702 in 2021–22, and 6,100 people in 2022–23.

Reasons behind the surge in passport seekers

According to a survey by Gallup Pakistan, the main reasons for migration from Pakistan was necessitated by seeking better economic opportunities (49%), better education (15%), better living standards (13%), and security (10%) abroad.

Challenges and opportunities for Pakistani migrants

According to a report by Migration Data Portal, Pakistanis are among the top 10 migrant populations in 15 countries, mostly in Asia and Europe.

The main destinations for Pakistani migrants are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

Some of the challenges faced by Pakistani migrants include discrimination, exploitation, legal barriers, and cultural adaptation.