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Pakistan to cancel passports of deportees in crackdown on illegal migration
Pakistan’s government has announced tough new steps to deal with citizens deported from abroad for illegal activities for reasons that their actions are damaging the country’s image.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on May 24 that deportees will face criminal charges and have their passports cancelled.
They will also be banned from holding a Pakistani passport for five years.
The decision comes after rising complaints from countries, especially in the Middle East, about Pakistani nationals involved in begging and illegal migration.
Officials say many of those deported have caused embarrassment to the country.
A high-level meeting in Islamabad agreed that First Information Reports would be filed against deportees as soon as they arrive in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Interior has also formed a committee to suggest stricter passport checks and better screening of applicants.
The move follows reports that around 4,000 Pakistani nationals, mostly beggars, were deported from Saudi Arabia between 2022 and the end of 2024.
More recently, over 100 deportees arrived from European countries, many accused of fraud or travelling without proper documents.
The government says it will not issue new passports to people who have been deported, and will also take action against travel agents involved in human smuggling.
Source: globalsouthworld.com
