ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered strict action against mafias involved in illegally sending Pakistanis abroad, Pakistani state media reported on Friday, amid an ongoing crackdown against human traffickers.
The issue of illegal immigration and its consequences has gained significant attention in Pakistan after the arrest of several Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged documents in recent years.
Pakistan has also cracked down on individuals accused of exploiting visas to solicit money in Saudi Arabia, a practice officials warned was damaging the country’s image and could affect genuine visa-seekers.
On Friday, Naqvi presided over a meeting in Islamabad to review performance of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) immigration wing with regard to curbing organized networks involved in illegal immigration.
“Those involved in human smuggling deserve no leniency,” he was quoted as saying by the Radio Pakistan broadcaster. “Pakistan’s reputation could not be compromised under any circumstances.”
The interior minister instructed the FIA to ensure effective enforcement of immigration laws and further strengthening of immigration checking system at airports, according to the report.
“Action against the professional beggar mafia was discussed during the meeting,” the report read.
“The interior minister ordered an effective crackdown against the professional beggar mafia and their abettors.”
Pakistan intensified action against illegal migration in 2023 after hundreds of people, including its own nationals, lost their lives while trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach European shores in an overcrowded vessel that sank off the Greek coast.
In September last year, the FIA released a list of more than 100 of the country’s “most wanted” human smugglers as part of its ongoing nationwide operation, identifying major hubs of trafficking activity across Punjab and Islamabad.
Last month, Pakistan’s interior ministry announced rolling out an AI-based immigration screening system in Islamabad to detect forged travel documents and prevent illegal departures.
