Thousands of Pakistani nationals have been deported from various countries for engaging in begging, officials told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
The disclosure was made during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, chaired by Agha Rafiullah.
The Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told the committee that around 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded from travelling abroad this year alone. He said thousands of Pakistanis had been deported from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan specifically on charges related to begging.
According to the FIA, Saudi Arabia deported about 24,000 Pakistanis this year for begging, while the United Arab Emirates deported around 6,000 Pakistanis and Azerbaijan deported approximately 2,500. Overall, Saudi Arabia has deported a total of 56,000 Pakistani nationals for begging over recent years, the committee was informed.
The FIA chief said authorities had intercepted individuals attempting to travel to Europe under the pretext of performing Umrah pilgrimage, after evidence emerged that they were carrying documents for onward travel to European countries.
The committee was also told that 24,000 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia this year, of whom 12,000 have yet to return. Similarly, 4,000 people travelled to Myanmar on tourist visas, with 2,500 remaining abroad, according to the FIA.
The official said Pakistan’s ranking in global passport mobility had improved to 92 from 118 due to measures taken to curb illegal migration. He added that Pakistan had previously ranked among the top five countries for illegal migration but had since dropped out of that group.
The committee was further informed that around 8,000 Pakistanis travelled illegally to Europe last year, a number that has dropped to about 4,000 this year. The FIA chief also said that Dubai and Germany have restored visa-free access for holders of Pakistan’s official passports.