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Pakistan Steps Up Crackdown on Organised Begging and Illegal Travel, Off-Loading 66,000 Flyers in 2025

Officials link tighter pre-departure checks to an improvement in the passport’s global ranking.

Overview

  • The FIA told a National Assembly panel it offloaded 66,154 passengers this year, with about 51,000 stopped over insufficient or unverified documents.
  • Saudi Arabia deported 24,000 Pakistanis for begging according to the committee briefing, though some reports cite about 56,000, underscoring conflicting tallies.
  • The UAE deported 6,000 and Azerbaijan 2,500 Pakistanis for similar offenses, and authorities said some travelers using Umrah as cover for entry to Europe were intercepted.
  • Officials reported 24,000 Pakistanis traveled to Cambodia this year with roughly 12,000 unreturned, and about 2,500 of 4,000 visitors to Myanmar have not come back.
  • Controls being rolled out include cameras at immigration counters, NADRA connectivity, AI-based risk analysis, and a pre-departure e-immigration app set for mid-January, with illegal migration to Europe said to have halved from last year.