31,000 deported, 51,000 stopped: Pakistan using AI to prevent potential beggars from going abroad as many do not return

After several countries tightened visa norms for Pakistani nationals amid rising cases of begging, extremism, drug trafficking and other crimes, Pakistan has stepped up its crackdown on illegal migration and suspected overseas begging.

The government has stopped at least 51,000 citizens from travelling abroad this year, aiming to prevent potential beggars from ending up in foreign countries. Incidentally, Saudi Arabia sent back around 24,000 Pakistanis for begging, the highest number deported by any country. The United Arab Emirates deported nearly 6,000, while Azerbaijan expelled about 2,500 Pakistani nationals on similar grounds.

The figures were shared during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights, where Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja briefed lawmakers on enforcement measures.

“At least 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded at various airports this year alone,” Raja said.

According to the FIA, many of those stopped were attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia and European countries. Some passengers bound for Saudi Arabia claimed they were travelling for Umrah, but investigations suggested they intended to overstay or engage in begging. Others heading to Europe were unable to provide valid documents supporting their travel plans.

The committee was further informed about Pakistanis who travelled abroad but failed to return. This year, 24,000 Pakistanis went to Cambodia, with 12,000 still unaccounted for. Similarly, around 4,000 travelled to Myanmar on tourist visas, of whom about 2,500 have not returned, raising concerns over illegal employment and human trafficking networks.

The FIA chief said tighter screening and stricter controls have improved Pakistan’s global standing. The country’s passport ranking has climbed from 118 to 92, and Pakistan has dropped out of the list of the world’s top countries for illegal migration. Illegal migration to Europe has also declined sharply, from 8,000 cases last year to 4,000 this year.

Raja noted that 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad legally this year, while 226 cases were registered for immigration-related offences. He added that surveillance cameras have been installed at airport immigration counters, monitored from a central control room, and that artificial intelligence systems are now being used to flag suspicious passengers in advance.

The FIA also uncovered instances of Bangladeshi nationals attempting to use Pakistan as a transit route to Europe, highlighting the broader regional nature of illegal migration networks.

In Saudi Arabia alone, more than 4,000 Pakistani beggars have been detained in Mecca and Madina in recent years, particularly during the Umrah and Hajj seasons. Several Pakistani nationals have also been arrested in the kingdom for drug-related offences.

Earlier, a Dawn report noted that the UAE’s suspension of most visa categories—including tourist, visit and employment visas—was driven by concerns over an uptick in criminal activity involving Pakistani nationals.

An estimated 800,000 Pakistanis apply each year for visas to Gulf and West Asian countries, many seeking employment or using the region as a transit route to Western destinations. Regional security agencies, however, have raised repeated alarms over illegal activities linked to a section of travellers.

In 2018, Dubai’s former head of general security Dhahi Khalfan publicly linked Pakistanis to drug trafficking following a major enforcement raid and urged employers not to hire them, calling it a “national duty.”