Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) says that stricter immigration controls, artificial intelligence-based screening systems and enhanced monitoring have led to a significant decline in the deportation of Pakistani citizens accused of begging abroad.
Speaking to The News, senior FIA official Dr. Athar Waheed said deportations linked to begging had fallen by 75 percent, while cases involving forged travel documents had declined by 31 percent.
According to the official, the overall deportation rate of Pakistani nationals from European countries also dropped by 16 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The FIA further stated that data from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, showed a 47 percent decline in illegal border crossings by Pakistani nationals during the first four months of 2026. Officials attributed the reduction to intelligence-based passenger screening and improved risk assessment systems at airports.
The agency said that the upgraded Integrated Border Management System (IBMS-II) has been linked to databases maintained by NADRA, Interpol, the Immigration and Passport System and the Bureau of Emigration. Authorities have also introduced artificial intelligence-based profiling through the e-IMMI pre-departure system.
According to Arab News, nearly 4,800 Pakistanis were deported from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in 2024 over allegations related to begging. That figure fell to around 1,100 in 2025 and has declined further to 802 this year.
FIA Additional Director General for Immigration Noman Siddiqui said that 507 people were prevented from travelling abroad in 2024, while the figure rose to 597 in 2025. During the first six months of the current year, only 27 individuals were stopped from boarding flights.
Officials also reported an increase in legal action against individuals and networks allegedly involved in facilitating such activities.
