In response to growing concerns raised by diplomatic missions abroad, the Pakistani government has introduced a bill in the Senate to amend existing laws and criminalize “organized beggary.”
The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposed by the Interior Ministry, seeks to revise the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018, by incorporating organized begging under Section 3 of the law. The move comes after multiple countries, including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, Iraq, and Malaysia, formally raised complaints with Pakistan’s embassies regarding an increasing number of Pakistanis engaging in begging during Hajj, Umrah, and other religious pilgrimages.
According to the amendment draft, gangs and agents involved in this illicit practice evade legal action since existing laws under the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) do not classify beggary as a crime. Authorities argue that the urgent criminalization of organized begging is necessary to combat the growing issue.
The proposed law defines “organized beggary” as any act where an individual coerces, entices, or forces another person—through fraud or other means—to solicit or receive alms. It also criminalizes activities such as:
- Begging in public places under pretenses, such as fortune-telling or performing street tricks.
- Approaching vehicles at traffic signals to solicit money.
- Forcibly cleaning windshields to pressure motorists into giving money.
- Entering private properties to beg.
- Exhibiting wounds, deformities, or injuries (human or animal) to gain sympathy and extort alms.
The crackdown on organized begging follows increasing diplomatic pressure. In July 2024, Pakistan’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development confirmed that Saudi Arabia had requested Pakistan to stop sending beggars, sick individuals, and unskilled workers.
By November 2024, the government responded by placing 4,300 individuals on the Exit Control List (ECL) after a high-level meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmed Al Maliki.
Deportations have surged in recent weeks, with hundreds of Pakistanis expelled from Gulf nations over issues such as:
- Irregular documentation
- Lack of travel funds
- Procedural violations
- Criminal activity and begging
Notably, three beggars deported from Saudi Arabia were arrested upon arrival in Karachi, while another was caught using a forged passport after returning from Umrah, as reported on January 15. Additionally, a passenger blacklisted for begging in Saudi Arabia was removed from a flight to Bahrain this week.
Strict Immigration Measures to Prevent Human Smuggling
To tackle human smuggling and illegal immigration, the government has tightened screening measures at airports. The FIA has instructed immigration officers to closely monitor first-time travelers aged 15-40 at nine major airports.
The advisory specifically flags passengers traveling on certain airlines, particularly Ethiopian Airlines, for extra scrutiny.
Authorities have also directed enhanced profiling for travelers heading to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan.
Furthermore, passengers from high-risk districts including Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhimber, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, and Sheikhupura will undergo strict document verification before departure.
Immigration officers have been instructed to thoroughly check return tickets, hotel bookings, and travel funds, with a particular focus on visit or tourist visas to prevent abuse of the system.
With Pakistan’s international reputation on the line, authorities are under pressure to curb organized begging and tighten immigration controls. The latest amendments aim to eliminate legal loopholes that have allowed begging mafias to thrive while ensuring that Pakistan complies with foreign governments’ demands to control the export of undocumented and unskilled individuals.
As the bill moves through the Senate, it remains to be seen how effectively it will be implemented and whether it will deter human trafficking and organized beggary in the long run.
