Passports of 53,000 deported Pakistanis blocked

Islamabad, April 11 (IANS) The federal government has blocked passports of 53,000 Pakistanis deported from different countries over criminal activities and begging, the country’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was informed during a meeting at the Directorate of Immigration and Passports.

Pakistan has often been labelled as a country exporting beggars, especially to Arab countries. After repeated complaints from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against beggars, the government decided to treat begging as an act of terrorism.

"Strict measures will be introduced to curb beggary and illegal immigration," Naqvi said in an official statement.

In a major embarrassment to Pakistan, thousands of Pakistani nationals have been deported from various parts of the world in the last few months, majorly from the Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman.

The Saudi authorities deported Pakistanis on various charges, including blacklisting, begging, drug dealing, illegal residence, working without a sponsor, absconding from employment, and violating contractual agreement.

UAE deported Pakistani nationals who had been serving sentences for illegal activities and other violations.

Similarly, Pakistanis have been deported from other countries, including the United States and Canada, over various legal and immigration violations. The Saudi authorities deported blacklisted individuals, beggars, and people staying beyond their permitted duration.

Additionally, individuals were expelled for violating contract terms, while workers who had absconded from their jobs were also deported.

Furthermore, Pakistanis were sent back from Saudi Arabia for working without a sponsor (Kafeel), violating local labour laws.

In January, Pakistani citizens were deported from seven countries, including from 'all-weather friend' China.

Pakistani beggars have been arrested in Saudi Arabia, especially from Mecca and Medina, where they were caught begging during Umrah and Haj processions. Many Pakistanis have also been arrested and jailed by the law-enforcement agencies of these countries for carrying illegal drugs and involvement in illegal activities.

This has ultimately resulted in severe restrictions and bans being imposed by many countries on Pakistani passports and the country's citizens, leading to rejections of visas for thousands of travellers every month.

--IANS

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