Thousands of Pakistanis have been deported from various countries this year for begging, according to officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The report was presented during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights, chaired by Agha Rafiullah.
The FIA Director General informed the committee that a total of 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded from different countries this year due to involvement in begging. Saudi Arabia led the list, deporting 24,000 Pakistanis, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 6,000, and Azerbaijan, which sent back 2,500 individuals.
He added that Pakistanis attempting to travel to Europe under the pretext of performing Umrah were intercepted and deported with documented evidence. Only those with falsified travel documents claiming to be going on a religious pilgrimage were offloaded.
The committee was also informed about other destinations. Around 24,000 Pakistanis traveled to Cambodia this year, of whom 12,000 have not yet returned. Similarly, 4,000 Pakistanis went to Myanmar on tourist visas, but 2,500 are still abroad.
The FIA chief said that stricter monitoring of illegal migration had improved Pakistan’s passport ranking from 118 to 92. Previously, Pakistan was among the top five countries with the highest number of illegal travelers, but recent policies have removed it from that list.
He added that the number of Pakistanis traveling illegally to Europe had halved compared to last year, dropping from 8,000 to 4,000. In total, Saudi Arabia deported 56,000 Pakistanis for begging-related offenses over recent years.
On a positive note, the FIA official highlighted that Dubai and Germany have now granted visa-free access to holders of Pakistani official passports. The agency also plans to launch the “EMI Application” by mid-January, which will allow travelers to complete immigration clearance 24 hours before departure.