Seven Countries Deport 258 Pakistanis in Just 24 Hours

KARACHI: In the past 24 hours, 258 Pakistanis have been deported from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, and six other countries. Among those deported, 14 individuals were holding Pakistani passports, while 244 had emergency travel permits.

Immigration officials reported that 16 of the deportees were arrested upon arrival at Karachi, including one person with an unusual appearance. The remaining deportees were released after being questioned by authorities.

Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest number of deportations, sending back 232 individuals. This group included seven beggars and two people who had attempted to perform Hajj without proper authorization.

Several others were deported for overstaying their Umrah visas, working without proper sponsorship (kafeel), or staying beyond the expiration of their visas. Additionally, 11 people were deported following complaints from their sponsors, and 63 individuals were charged with other offenses.

The UAE also deported a group of 21 people, including four narcotics traffickers. After questioning, 16 of the deportees were released, as they had been on the immigration stop list.

Other countries that deported Pakistanis included Nigeria, Cyprus, Indonesia, Qatar, and China, with one person deported from each of these nations. These deportees were either returned due to visa issues or other immigration-related problems. Immigration officials have noted a steady increase in deportations over the past few months.

Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deported 35 travelers from Karachi Airport, who were attempting to travel to various destinations. These individuals were offloaded due to issues such as insufficient funds, lack of hotel reservations, and missing documentation for visas.

The following table outlines the details of some of the offloaded passengers:

Authorities have issued a warning to travelers, urging them to ensure they have the necessary documentation, including valid visas, sufficient funds, and advance hotel bookings.

Passengers are also advised to make sure they have the proper paperwork and visa protector stamps to avoid being offloaded or deported. The immigration authorities continue to monitor travel to prevent such issues.