Pakistan Bans Beggars From Foreign Travel 66,000 Flyers With Suspicious Documents Stopped At Airports This Year

(MENAFN- Live Mint) After facing embarrassment overseas due to illegal begging, visa violations and document fraud, the Pakistan government has banned its nationals with incomplete travel documents and professional beggars from travelling abroad, as reported by Radio Pakistan.

The development comes as reports emerged of Pakistani passengers being offloaded at various airports across the country.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said "professional beggars and people travelling with incomplete documents will not be allowed to go abroad,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.

The minister made the remarks while speaking to passengers during a visit to Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, along with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, said the Radio Pakistan report.

Naqvi warns culprits, says nation's dignity top priority

Warning that those who bring a bad name to Pakistan will face strict action, Naqvi said the dignity of the country and facilitation of passengers are his top priorities.

During the visit, Naqvi and Chaudhry inspected immigration counters and reviewed the departure process.

Earlier this week, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said that more than 66,000 passengers had been offloaded from Pakistani airports this year over suspected irregular travel, while tens of thousands were deported from Gulf states and other countries amid a broader crackdown on illegal migration, as reported by Arab News.

The authorities have intensified the crackdown on illegal migration after 2023 when hundreds of people, including Pakistani nationals, had died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded fishing vessel that sank off the Greek coast. The incident prompted widespread outrage and scrutiny of smuggling networks.

Umrah visa misuse rampant

Recently, several cases were reported in Saudi Arabia where Pakistani citizens were misusing their Umrah visas to beg for money.

Earlier this month, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee, led by the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis, to streamline immigration procedures and probe cases of passengers being offloaded arbitrarily. He also reviewed enforcement measures during a high-level government meeting on Saturday that was aimed at curbing human smuggling and illegal immigration, as per the Arab News report.

During the meeting, officials highlighted a 47% fall in illegal migration to Europe from the country, following intensified screening at departure points.

“In taking action against those travelling illegally or holding suspicious travel documents, special care must be taken to ensure that passengers with valid documents are not affected,” the prime minister said in a statement issued by his office.

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