Islamabad: As many as 56,000 Pakistanis have been deported this year for begging, officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed a meeting of the Standing Committee on Tuesday.
According to FIA officials, 51,000 people were offloaded from airports during the year on suspicion of illegal travel or misuse of visas. Of these, 24,000 Pakistanis were deported by Saudi Arabia alone, while Dubai deported around 6,000 Pakistanis for begging. Azerbaijan deported 2,500 Pakistani beggars, the committee was told.
The FIA report revealed that many individuals attempted to travel to Europe under the pretext of performing Umrah. These passengers were offloaded after evidence showed they possessed European travel documents instead of genuine Umrah-related paperwork.
Officials further disclosed that 24,000 Pakistanis traveled to Cambodia this year, out of which 12,000 have not yet returned. Similarly, 4,000 people traveled to Myanmar on tourist visas, and 2,500 of them have not returned.
The committee was informed that Pakistan had ranked among the top five countries for illegal migration in previous years. Last year, 8,000 Pakistanis illegally entered Europe, while this number has reduced to 4,000 this year.
It was also disclosed that Saudi Arabia alone has deported a total of 56,000 Pakistani beggars so far. Meanwhile, Dubai and Germany have suspended visa-free travel on Pakistani official passports.
Officials announced that an EMI (Exit Management Interface) application will be launched by mid-January. Through this app, travelers will be required to complete immigration clearance 24 hours before departure.
The Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis informed the committee that Pakistanis are using Ethiopia and Zambia as transit routes to illegally enter Europe, according to reports from Pakistan’s ambassador in Zimbabwe.
Concerns were also raised about staff shortages at FIA counters in Islamabad. During the meeting, officials revealed a case involving a fake football club that sent a so-called football team to Japan, including a disabled individual. Investigations showed that a similar fake team had also been sent to Japan in 2022.