ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday ordered immigration authorities not to allow passengers with incomplete travel documents to fly, as the country tightens screening at airports amid a broader crackdown on illegal migration and human smuggling.
Pakistan has stepped up immigration controls and action against trafficking networks following a series of deadly migrant boat disasters involving its nationals, with authorities reporting a 47 percent decline in illegal migration to Europe in 2025 and more than 1,700 arrests of suspected human smugglers.
“No one should be allowed to travel on incomplete travel documents under any circumstances,” Naqvi told Federal Investigation Agency officials during an unannounced visit to Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, according to a statement from his office.
He said passengers possessing complete travel documents should not be prevented from leaving the country, amid complaints in recent months from people who said they were stopped from boarding international flights despite holding valid documents.
“Any passenger with complete travel documents will not be stopped from traveling,” he said.
Pakistan has intensified scrutiny of outbound passengers as authorities seek to prevent illegal migration and the use of forged documents, particularly on routes that could ultimately be used to reach Europe.
The government has also begun deploying technology to strengthen immigration screening, including an artificial intelligence-based system introduced at Islamabad airport to help identify forged travel documents and suspicious travel patterns.
“Modern technology has made immigration easier and tightened the noose around those traveling on fake documents,” Naqvi said.
During Sunday’s visit, Naqvi inspected immigration counters and spoke to passengers about processing times, with some telling him they had waited around 30 minutes.
He ordered officials to keep all immigration counters open to reduce delays, saying additional counters would help speed up processing and facilitate passengers.
