51,000 Pakistanis offloaded or deported this year, FIA tells NA panel

ISLAMABAD: Thousands of Pakistanis have been deported from various countries around the world for begging,  officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights.

The meeting was chaired by Agha Rafiullah.

Briefing the committee, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General said that so far this year, 51,000 Pakistanis have been offloaded or deported from different countries. Of these, 24,000 were deported from Saudi Arabia for begging, while 6,000 were sent back by the United Arab Emirates and 2,500 by Azerbaijan, he said.

The FIA chief said that strict action was taken against people attempting to reach Europe under the guise of performing Umrah, adding that passengers who lacked documentary proof for travel to Europe were offloaded at airports.

The committee was informed that 24,000 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia this year, of whom 12,000 have yet to return. Similarly, out of 4,000 people who travelled to Myanmar on tourist visas, 2,500 did not return.

The FIA DG said that due to measures against illegal immigration, Pakistan’s passport ranking has improved from 118 to 92. He said Pakistan was previously among the top five countries for illegal migration, but has now been removed from that list due to current policies.

He added that 8,000 Pakistanis illegally travelled to Europe last year, while this figure has dropped to 4,000 this year. Overall, 56,000 Pakistanis have so far been deported from Saudi Arabia for begging.

The FIA chief further told the committee that Dubai and Germany have provided visa-free facilities on Pakistani official passports, while an immigration application will be launched in mid-January, allowing travellers to complete immigration procedures 24 hours prior to departure.

During the meeting, unusual cases of illegal travel were also discussed, including an incident in which a fake football club sent an entire team to Japan, along with a disabled individual posing as a team member.

The committee expressed concern over the issue and directed authorities to take stricter action against illegal immigration networks and begging mafias.