51,000 passengers offloaded this year, FIA tells NA Committee
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis on Wednesday that 51,000 passengers were offloaded from flights at Pakistani airports this year after failing immigration checks, with Lahore and Karachi airports recording the highest numbers.
Chairman of the committee, Agha Rafiullah, chaired the session, where Director General FIA Riffat Mukhtar Raja briefed lawmakers on the measures taken to curb illegal travel and migrant smuggling.
He stated that passengers were offloaded based on thorough document verification, data checks, and online authentication. Many lacked complete information about their courses, universities, or employment abroad, and some attempted to travel through agents using incomplete or incorrect information.
“The majority of offloaded passengers belonged to visit, Umrah, and work visa categories. No passenger was cleared due to political or VIP influence,” Raja said.
He added that 180 FIA officials involved in corruption had been dismissed, and all major airports are now connected to NADRA’s online database, with AI systems pre-screening suspicious cases. Cameras have also been installed at immigration counters, monitored centrally.
DG FIA said Pakistan's passport ranking has improved from 118 to 92 by preventing travelers from going abroad through forgery. The committee was told that last year, 8,000 people went to Europe illegally, while this year the number has come down to 4,000. Dubai and Germany have made Pakistani passports visa-free. Additionally, the Ame application will be launched in mid-January, allowing travelers to complete immigration 24 hours before departure.
The committee was informed that 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad this year, with 226 cases registered for various offences and 450 people arrested attempting to cross into Iran illegally in the past three months. Several Bangladeshi nationals were also caught attempting to travel illegally to Europe on Pakistani tourist visas.
FIA officials reported that 24,000 Pakistanis were deported from Saudi Arabia this year for begging, while Dubai and Azerbaijan also deported thousands over similar violations. DG FIA highlighted that offloading and deportations are part of efforts to combat illegal migration and smuggling networks, noting that numbers of Pakistanis traveling illegally to Europe have halved compared to last year.
The meeting also covered assistance provided to Pakistanis abroad, including repatriation of 5,000 individuals, legal and financial aid, and repatriation of 889 deceased Pakistanis through PIA at no cost.
Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry informed the committee that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 will bring $1 trillion in investment, creating employment opportunities. “If we provide better skilled manpower, Pakistan can benefit significantly,” he said, adding that over 500,000 Pakistanis have been sent to Saudi Arabia this year.
The committee also raised concerns about administrative inefficiencies, including drivers being assigned to over 50% of community welfare attachés in Europe, and the lack of functioning at the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission.
Reporter: Anwer Abbas