KARACHI: Human smugglers are increasingly exploiting Umrah journeys to Saudi Arabia as part of new illegal immigration routes to Europe, a Pakistani official recently told Arab News, with authorities regularly intercepting groups attempting to misuse religious travel arrangements.

Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia and other countries to perform religious pilgrimages, mainly Hajj and Umrah. Pakistani officials have said in the past that some of these nationals have failed to return to the country after the expiry of their visas.

Pakistan has long faced challenges related to irregular migration, with smugglers using deceptive promises of overseas employment and better economic opportunities to facilitate illegal journeys to Europe as people look to escape poverty and high inflation at home.

A senior Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official said they last week intercepted passengers from southern and central Punjab province who had planned to travel to Europe after entering Saudi Arabia on the pretext of performing Umrah, a pilgrimage Muslims can undertake throughout the year.

“Every week, we catch two, three groups attempting this,” Shahzad Akbar, an FIA deputy director for immigration at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, said in an interview with Arab News.

“Umrah has emerged as a new destination for this because people feel there is less strictness and fewer questions are asked there.”

Smugglers are increasingly using multiple transit countries rather than relying exclusively on established routes through Libya and other North African countries, according to the official.

He identified Egypt, Morocco and Cyprus among the countries appearing on different suspected smuggling routes to Europe, while Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were also being used as transit points in journeys to other destinations.

In July, the FIA reported intercepting a Pakistani who had traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah before moving through Egypt to Libya in an alleged attempt to reach Italy. He had paid an illegal immigration agent Rs4.3 million ($15,400 approximately) before being intercepted and deported by Libyan authorities.

In another case in July, immigration officials at Islamabad airport stopped four passengers allegedly planning to use Umrah visas to reach Europe via Azerbaijan and Serbia.

These illicit operations involve organized criminal networks that extend beyond Pakistan, with smugglers and their agents arranging visas, immigration clearance and onward transportation. Payments are often collected in stages, while migrants were sometimes kept unaware of their precise travel arrangements, particularly when journeys involve dangerous maritime crossings, according to Akbar.

Smugglers also use social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, to lure prospective migrants with fraudulent employment advertisements that promise high salaries and free accommodation abroad. Some victims were sent overseas on temporary visit visas on the pretext of employment or training, only to be held captive while their families in Pakistan faced ransom demands.

Akbar said the FIA was investigating suspected networks and registering complaints about human trafficking and related offenses almost on a daily basis. He said around 15,000 to 16,000 passengers travel via Karachi airport daily, of whom 10 to 15 were typically offloaded over travel-related concerns.

Asked about concerns over offloading of passengers despite valid documents, Akbar said the agency was testing a mobile application that is designed to help passengers identify potential documentation issues before arriving at airports

“The FIA is developing an app using technology that allows passengers to check from home whether they are at a high or low risk for traveling,” he said, adding the app would use international screening practices and information from previous deportation cases.

The FIA has yet to confirm the date for its launch, according to the official.

Meanwhile, passengers facing travel issues are directed to FIA facilitation centers to clear documentation and other requirements so that genuine travelers are not unnecessarily prevented from leaving Pakistan.

“The pre-departure cell, which you just filmed, is a continuation of our efforts to facilitate passengers so they do not face difficulties abroad,” he added.