FIA reveals 66,000 passengers offloaded at airports this year

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed on Wednesday that thousands of Pakistani citizens have been deported from different countries this year over allegations of begging and immigration violations, ARY News reported.

The meeting, chaired by MNA Rafiullah, was attended by the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), who briefed the committee on offloading and deportation trends.

The DG FIA told the committee that 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded at airports in 2025 while attempting to travel abroad. He revealed that 24,000 Pakistanis were deported by Saudi Arabia during the year on charges of begging.

In addition, Dubai deported 6,000 Pakistani nationals on similar grounds, while Azerbaijan sent back around 2,000 Pakistani beggars.

The committee was further informed that Pakistani citizens involved in begging are regularly deported by host countries, causing reputational damage to Pakistan.

The DG FIA also disclosed that some individuals attempt to travel to Europe under the guise of performing Umrah. Such passengers are offloaded at Pakistani airports when discrepancies are found in their documents, despite possessing travel-related paperwork.

Regarding human trafficking concerns, the DG stated that 24,000 Pakistanis were sent to Cambodia this year, while 12,000 of them have yet to return.

Overall, the FIA has offloaded around 66,000 passengers from various airports this year due to fake visas, forged documents, or incomplete paperwork, including insufficient documentation for study visas.

The committee expressed concern over the situation and emphasized the need for stricter monitoring and awareness to prevent misuse of travel channels and protect Pakistan’s global image.

On April 10, 2025, in a decisive move to curb the rising trend of begging and illegal immigration, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced strict new measures, including tightening passport issuance procedures and blocking passports of deported individuals.

During a high-level visit to the Directorate of Immigration and Passports, Minister Naqvi chaired an important meeting attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Secretary Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha, DG FIA Riffat Mukhtar Raja, and DG Passports Mustafa Jamal Qazi.

Addressing the meeting, Naqvi directed officials to complete all legal formalities related to the newly introduced passport requirements. He emphasized that these steps would serve as a strong deterrent against organized begging rackets and unlawful migration attempts.

“The new passport conditions will significantly prevent begging and illegal immigration,” Naqvi stated, adding that the initiative would portray a positive image of Pakistan on the global stage.

Minister Talal Chaudhry echoed similar sentiments, saying, “This decisive action will send a strong, positive message to the international community regarding Pakistan’s commitment to law and order.”