Enforcement: Thousands of Deportees Face Passport Revocation in Pakistan

Unleashing a Crackdown: Thousands Facing Passport Cancellation for Foreign Transgressions

Get ready, folks! Thousands of Pakistani citizens who've been deported from countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar for questionable activities, including begging rings, are now on the hook for passport revocation. That's right, their freedom to travel may soon be revoked.

The Ministry of Interior and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have already initiated the process, with over 7,800 individuals already identified. More than half of these individuals, roughly 5,600, were kicked out for their involvement in beggary networks alone.

These deportees have been added to the Passport Control List (PCL), which prevents them from reapplying for or receiving new passports for at least five years. Moreover, criminal charges, aka First Information Reports (FIRs, the Indian legal term), are in the works for those listed, serving as a deterrent against further illegal activities and migration.

The Senate Committee of Pakistan gathered to discuss the surge in Pakistanis involved in foreign wrongdoings and the impact on our country's international reputation. The authorities shared that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has issued show-cause notices to the Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) linked to these deportations. If found complicit, criminal action could follow.

Some senators voiced concerns about the government's approach, questioning the legal basis for passport cancellation based on crimes committed outside Pakistan's borders. It seems a clear legal framework is required to address these concerns.

Mustafa Jamal Kazi, Director General of Passport and Immigration, detailed the increasing number of Pakistani nationals overstaying their visas in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran, particularly among pilgrims. In 2024 alone, around 34,000 Pakistanis were booted out of Iran and nearly 50,000 from Iraq.

Additionally, he pointed to a rising wave of asylum seekers among Pakistanis in Europe, with an estimated 125,000 individuals applying for asylum in various European countries over the last year, citing economic instability and hardship as chief reasons.

Despite the unsettling figures, officials highlighted that over 10.3 million skilled Pakistani workers remain employed abroad, contributing significantly to the country's remittances and global labor presence. Pakistan continues to rely on its overseas workforce to drive remittance flows, with the Gulf region serving as a top destination.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story. As we monitor the situation, we'll continue to keep you informed on the legal and human rights implications for those affected by these measures.

Insights

The Passport Cancellation move marks a significant shift in Pakistan's migration policy, one of the most aggressive in recent years, with a new committee being formed to tighten passport regulations.
Legal experts and senators have raised concerns about the legality of passport cancellation based on crimes committed outside Pakistan's territory.
The escalating measures are largely driven by international concerns about public begging, undocumented migration, and fraud by Pakistani nationals in countries like Middle Eastern and European nations.
The government is aiming to signal its commitment to combat illicit activities abroad and reassure international partners, but the human rights and legal implications of these measures remain subjects of debate.

The escalating measures against Pakistanis involved in foreign crimes, such as news about passport revocation for deportees, are part of a significant shift in the country's migration policy, an initiative aimed at tightening passport regulations.
In response to the passport cancellation policy, legal experts and senators have raised concerns about its legality, questioning whether it is constitutional to revoke passports based on crimes committed outside Pakistan's territory.
As the government continues to tighten passport regulations in response to international concerns about public begging, undocumented migration, and fraud by Pakistani nationals in countries like Middle Eastern and European nations, the human rights and legal implications of these measures remain subjects of intense debate in general-news and politics forums.