Pakistan’s Begging Scheme: Amid international humiliation, more than 50,000 passengers are prohibited from traveling outside
Pakistan’s Begging Scheme: As the nation stepped up its measures to intercept “potential beggars” and combat people smuggling, Pakistani officials prevented at least 51,000 individuals from traveling overseas this year, it was revealed on Wednesday.
The details were discussed before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights meeting, which was presided over by Agha Rafiullah. Riffat Mukhtar Raja, director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), briefed the parliamentary panel on enforcement actions. “This year alone, at least 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded at various airports,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is a popular destination for Pakistani beggars in Europe.
According to him, a large number of people who were prevented from traveling were attempting to reach Saudi Arabia and Europe. While individuals heading to European nations were discovered to be without the necessary documentation, those traveling to the Kingdom were using the excuse of doing Umrah.
He said that the largest number of Pakistanis deported by any nation was 24,000, who were deported by Saudi Arabia for begging. For identical reasons, the UAE deported 6,000 Pakistanis, while Azerbaijan expelled some 2,500 beggars.
The committee was also made aware of Pakistanis who left the country and never came back. Of the 24,000 Pakistanis who visited Cambodia this year, 12,000 have not yet returned, according to Raja, while 4,000 traveled to Myanmar on tourist visas and another 2,500 did not return.
Pakistan’s passport rating declines
The head of the FIA said that tighter regulations had raised Pakistan’s passport rating from 118 to 92, pointing out that the country had previously been in the top five for illegal immigration but has now dropped off the list as a result of new regulations.
He went on to say that the number of Pakistanis traveling illegally to Europe has decreased, from 8,000 last year to 4,000 this year. Additionally, the FIA DG told the committee that official passports from Germany and Dubai are now visa-free and that an electronic immigration application would be available by the middle of January.
According to him, 226 charges were filed for different offenses this year, while 8.5 million Pakistanis traveled overseas.
The person further told the legislators that surveillance is being conducted from the control headquarters and that cameras have been placed at airport immigration booths. “Artificial intelligence is being used by the immigration system to detect suspicious cases beforehand.”
Raja also said that a number of Bangladeshi people were discovered trying to enter Europe illegally via Pakistan.