As many as 107 Pakistanis have been deported from 12 countries, including the United States, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, 55 travellers were offloaded at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, according to immigration sources on Sunday.
These immigration sources also highlighted that daily offloading incidents lead to significant financial losses for passengers. It is estimated that around 50 passengers have collectively lost Rs10 million due to these incidents.
The report details specific cases of passengers affected by these offloading practices. Four travellers destined for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman were stopped because they were on the stop list. Additionally, individuals bound for Canada and Nepal on visit visas, two travelling to Türkiye on visit visas, and two others headed to Azerbaijan on work visas were prevented from boarding their flights.
#FPWorld: In the past 24 hours, 258 Pakistanis were deported from seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China, according to officials. https://t.co/6CTppvNzkf
— Firstpost (@firstpost) January 10, 2025
Furthermore, ten Umrah pilgrims were barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia because they had not made upfront payments for hotel bookings or shown sufficient funds. Another passenger with permanent residency in Switzerland was also not allowed to travel.
Travellers with work visas to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Algeria and those visiting Iraq, UAE, Malaysia, Somalia, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Singapore were stopped due to incomplete documentation.
Saudi Arabia has deported, 232 Pakistanis which includes 7 beggars, reports Pakistani media:https://t.co/A11yBHd1Hd
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) January 10, 2025
In a related matter, immigration officials at Karachi airport arrested 14 deportees on allegations of drug trafficking and counterfeit currency. From the UAE alone, 40 Pakistanis were deported on multiple flights. Eleven of these were arrested by UAE authorities on charges of drug smuggling and two-faced accusations related to circulating counterfeit currency.
Read: 258 Pakistanis Deported from Seven Countries in 24 Hours
The deported individuals had reportedly completed prison sentences in the UAE before their repatriation to Pakistan, the sources added.