Islamabad / Dubai: Saudi Arabia has deported 24,000 Pakistani nationals this year over allegations of begging, while Dubai has sent back around 6,000 individuals, according to disclosures made to a parliamentary panel in Pakistan. The developments come amid a broader tightening of visa and immigration scrutiny by Gulf countries, citing concerns over misuse of travel documents and involvement in criminal activities.
Briefing the committee, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja said a total of 66,000 passengers were offloaded at various Pakistani airports during the year following immigration checks. Of these, more than 50,000 passengers were prevented from travelling due to documentation and verification failures.
In addition to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Azerbaijan deported about 2,500 Pakistani nationals on similar allegations of begging, the committee was informed.
Why passengers were offloaded
According to the FIA chief, around 51,000 passengers were stopped primarily due to insufficient or unverified documentation. Many travellers failed to provide complete or credible information regarding their educational enrolments, universities, employment offers, or purpose of travel.
“Passengers are offloaded on the basis of document verification, data checks, and online authentication,” Raja told lawmakers, adding that many attempted to travel abroad through agents using incomplete or incorrect information.
He categorically stated that no passenger was cleared under political influence or VIP pressure, underscoring the uniform application of immigration rules.
Crackdown within FIA
Raja also disclosed that around 180 FIA officials involved in corruption-related activities had been dismissed from service, as part of efforts to clean up the immigration and enforcement system. He said the FIA has increasingly deployed artificial intelligence–based systems to flag suspicious travel cases in advance, strengthening preventive controls at airports.
During the current year, 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad, while 226 criminal cases related to immigration offences were registered. Over the past three months alone, 450 individuals were arrested while attempting to cross into Iran illegally, Raja said. Authorities also detected cases of Bangladeshi nationals attempting to travel illegally to Europe via Pakistan.
Government assurance to genuine travellers
Earlier this month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Parliament that passengers carrying complete and genuine travel documents would not be stopped from travelling abroad. However, he warned that those with bogus, forged, or incomplete documentation would face strict action.
“No passenger who brings disrepute to the country can be allowed to travel,” the minister said.
Officials also revealed that 287 people were deported last year and 170 this year for using fake documents.
Why Gulf countries are tightening rules
The clampdown follows growing concerns in West Asia over the misuse of visas. In November, the United Arab Emirates effectively suspended regular visa issuance to Pakistani nationals after authorities raised concerns about some visitors engaging in criminal activities.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, had earlier warned Islamabad about Pakistani nationals entering the Kingdom on Umrah visas and later engaging in begging, cautioning that continued violations could have negative implications for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan.
Saudi officials reportedly flagged the issue with Pakistan’s authorities, stressing that such practices were damaging the reputation of Pakistani pilgrims and undermining the sanctity of religious travel.
