Pakistan: Why more than 51,000 passengers offloaded from flights

Dubai: More than 51,000 passengers were stopped from boarding flights at Pakistani airports this year after failing immigration checks, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told a National Assembly panel on Wednesday.

Lahore and Karachi airports recorded the highest numbers of offloaded travellers.

Chairing the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, Agha Rafiullah was briefed that many passengers were denied travel despite holding valid documents, following a nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling launched after the 2024 Greece boat tragedy that claimed several Pakistani lives.

FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja explained that passengers were offloaded based on document verification, data checks, and online authentication. “Of the 66,000 passengers offloaded this year, 51,000 were stopped for insufficient or unverified documentation,” he said, adding that many lacked complete information about their courses, universities, or employment abroad, Dawn news reported.

He further stressed that passengers attempting to travel through agents with incomplete or incorrect information were particularly scrutinised. “No passenger was cleared under political influence or VIP pressure,” Raja said, noting that 180 FIA officials involved in corruption had been dismissed and all major airports were now linked to NADRA’s online database to strengthen immigration controls.

Cameras at immigration counters and AI-driven monitoring from control headquarters are being used to flag suspicious cases in advance, the official added. Most offloaded passengers fell under visit, Umrah, and work visa categories. In total, 8.5 million Pakistanis travelled abroad this year, while 226 cases of offences were registered.

The committee was also informed of cross-border arrests, including 450 people trying to enter Iran illegally and several Bangladeshi nationals attempting to travel to Europe on Pakistani tourist visas. Additionally, 287 people were deported last year and 170 this year for using fake documents, while 24,000 beggars were deported from Saudi Arabia in 2025.

Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion investment under Vision 2030 offers new opportunities for Pakistanis, stressing the importance of better training for skilled manpower. Over 500,000 Pakistanis travelled to Saudi Arabia this year alone.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had assured early this month that passengers with complete travel documents would not be stopped, while those with incomplete or fake documents would be denied boarding.