ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights was briefed on Wednesday that more than 50,000 Pakistanis have been deported for begging, while thousands more have been prevented from illegal travel attempts at airports across the country this year.
During the meeting chaired by Agha Rafiullah, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja provided an overview of enforcement efforts and recent developments. She revealed that approximately 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded at airports in 2023 alone. Notably, Saudi Arabia deported the highest number of Pakistanis around 24,000 primarily on grounds related to begging. The United Arab Emirates deported approximately 6,000, while Azerbaijan expelled about 2,500 individuals for similar reasons.
The FIA chief also highlighted that several individuals with travel plans to Europe—under the guise of performing Umrah—were intercepted after authorities found supporting documentation suggesting intentions to enter European countries illegally. Such passengers were prevented from traveling with proper evidence.
Additionally, the committee was informed that around 24,000 Pakistanis traveled to Cambodia this year, with 12,000 of them yet to return. Similarly, 4,000 Pakistanis visited Myanmar on tourist visas, and approximately 2,500 did not come back to Pakistan.
Riffat Mukhtar Raja noted that stricter controls and policy reforms have improved Pakistan’s global passport ranking from 118 to 92. Previously, Pakistan was among the top five countries for illegal migration, but due to recent measures, it has now been removed from that list.
The FIA DG further stated that illegal migration to Europe has decreased significantly, with 8,000 Pakistanis traveling illegally last year, compared to 4,000 this year. She also mentioned that Dubai and Germany have made official passports visa-free, and an e-immigration platform is set to be launched by mid-January to streamline travel processes.
