Over 58,000 Pakistanis deported from various states since 2023
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel was informed on Tuesday that more than 58,000 Pakistanis have been deported from various countries since 2023, with a significant number facing repatriation on charges related to beggary and immigration violations.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, the Interior Ministry officials revealed that 5,600 deportees were expelled specifically for beggary from Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
The committee, chaired by Zeeshan Khanzada, reviewed data submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad.
According to the Director General of Passports and Immigration, Mustafa Jamal Kazi, many Pakistani citizens had overstayed their visas while travelling for religious pilgrimages to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq.
Kazi disclosed that around 34,000 Pakistanis were deported from Iran last year, while nearly 50,000 were sent back from Iraq.
He also pointed to a growing trend of asylum seekers, with approximately 125,000 Pakistanis applying for asylum in European countries during the last one year.
The committee raised concerns over the increase in deportations due to fake documentation and beggary, noting that such incidents have damaged Pakistan's international image and strained relations with brotherly countries in the Gulf and Middle East.
Interior Ministry officials confirmed that the names of deportees have been placed on the Passport Control List (PCL), and in some cases, their passports have been cancelled in an effort to curb this trend.
However, Senator Shahadat Awan, a member of the committee, objected, arguing that cancelling passports for offences committed outside Pakistan's jurisdiction may not be legally justified.
The committee further inquired about the Interior Ministry's action against Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) suspected of facilitating illegal or exploitative migration.
Officials revealed that 1,460 deportees had travelled through 691 OEPs. Show-cause notices have been issued to those implicated, and the panel has recommended initiating criminal proceedings against the promoters involved in sending individuals abroad for beggary or with falsified documents.
Zamir Hussain Ghumro, another member of the panel, questioned what steps the ministry has taken to prevent such crimes, which he said have brought shame to the country.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development informed the committee that 7,873 Pakistanis were deported between 2019 and 2025, with 1,064 of those cases linked to beggary.
The panel has also sought a breakdown of 5,000 deportees who travelled on work permits or visit visas to evaluate the involvement of employment agents.
In a separate briefing, the managing director of the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) presented updates on economic diplomacy initiatives aimed at promoting the export of skilled labour.
He said that approximately 10.3 million skilled Pakistani workers are currently employed overseas. The OEC has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with 18 countries, with an additional 15 under negotiation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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