NA committee discusses offloading of passengers, illegal migration trends

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Agha Rafiullah, during which the issue of passengers being offloaded from flights was discussed in detail.

Briefing the committee, Director General Federal Investigation Agency said that 51,000 people were offloaded during the current year. He told the committee that 24,000 Pakistanis were deported by Saudi Arabia for begging, while Dubai deported 6,000 Pakistanis on similar charges. Azerbaijan, he added, deported 2,500 Pakistani beggars.

The DG FIA said many individuals travel to Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas and then attempt to move illegally to Europe. Such passengers were offloaded after evidence was found, including possession of documents meant for travel to European countries.

He further informed the committee that 24,000 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia this year, of whom 12,000 have not returned so far. Similarly, 4,000 people went to Myanmar on tourist visas, but 2,500 did not return.

According to the DG FIA, strict offloading measures to stop illegal travel have helped improve Pakistan’s passport ranking from 118 to 92. He said Pakistan was previously among the top five countries for illegal migration, but due to revised policies, it has now moved out of that category. Last year, around 8,000 Pakistanis travelled illegally to Europe, while this year the number is expected to be around 4,000.

He said a total of 56,000 Pakistanis have been deported by Saudi Arabia for begging so far. He also told the committee that Dubai and Germany have made visas on official Pakistani passports visa-free.

The DG FIA said the “EMI application” would be launched by mid-January, allowing passengers travelling abroad to complete immigration clearance up to 24 hours before departure.

Highlighting operational challenges, he said FIA counters in Islamabad have limited staff despite heavy workload, adding that services of 30 female personnel from Islamabad police are being utilised. He also shared an unusual case in which a fake football club sent a so-called team to Japan, including a physically disabled person. Investigations revealed the same fake club had sent a team to Japan in 2022 as well.

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During the briefing, the committee was informed that 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad this year. A total of 226 cases were registered, while 450 people were arrested over the past three months while attempting illegal travel via the Iranian border. The DG FIA also disclosed that Bangladeshi nationals were caught attempting to travel illegally to Europe using Pakistani tourist visas. He added that 287 people were deported last year on fake documents, compared to 170 this year.

The Secretary Overseas Pakistanis also briefed the committee, saying the government has decided to establish 10 community welfare attaché posts in Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, China, Australia, Norway, Canada and the United Kingdom. He said these posts would help improve welfare and employment opportunities for Pakistani workers.

He told the committee that under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, over $1 trillion worth of mega projects are under way, including Neom City, Jeddah Central, Red Sea Global and the King Salman Energy Park. Other projects include Jeddah Tower, Riyadh Expo 2030, FIFA World Cup 2034, expansion of King Abdulaziz International Airport and the Red Sea hub, all offering job opportunities.

The secretary said only skilled workers would be eligible for jobs in Saudi Arabia. He added that Pakistan produces around 425,000 skilled workers annually, while more than 750,000 people went abroad for employment this year. He noted that while the number of university graduates is high, overseas demand is greater for skilled labour.

The Community Welfare Attaché in Riyadh informed the committee that 2.8 million Pakistanis are currently working in Saudi Arabia. He said 5,000 illegal Pakistani residents have been repatriated, while 845 prisoners who had completed their sentences were also sent back to Pakistan.