In a sweeping move to tackle illegal migration and what officials describe as a growing source of national embarrassment, Pakistan’s federal government has announced that the passports of Pakistani citizens deported from foreign countries will be cancelled. In addition, these individuals will face criminal charges under First Information Reports (FIRs), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on Saturday.
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The decision was made during a high-level meeting held in Islamabad, chaired by Naqvi and attended by senior officials including Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Interior Secretary, the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Director General of Passports.
Passport Cancellation and Travel Ban
As per the decisions taken in the meeting, deported Pakistanis will have their passports immediately cancelled upon return. Furthermore, their names will be placed on the Passport Control List, effectively barring them from receiving new travel documents for a period of five years.
Naqvi emphasized that the new measures reflect a zero-tolerance policy toward individuals who are deported for illegal acts such as begging, fraudulent migration, and undocumented travel. “Deportees are causing embarrassment to Pakistan at the international level. No leniency will be shown to them in the future,” Naqvi stated during the meeting.
Thousands Deported for Begging
The action follows the revelation that over 5,400 Pakistani nationals involved in begging were deported from multiple countries in the past 16 months. According to official data presented to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Interior, 5,402 individuals were returned between early 2024 and mid-2025.
The majority of these deportations—4,498 in 2024 and 535 in 2025—came from Saudi Arabia. Other countries that deported Pakistani beggars include Iraq (242), Malaysia (55), the United Arab Emirates (58 across two years), Qatar, and Oman. In addition, over 100 Pakistanis were deported from European nations last month alone, many for involvement in fraudulent migration schemes.
Committee Formed to Tighten Passport Laws
In a move to institutionalize reform, the government has constituted a committee under the leadership of the Interior Secretary. The committee has been tasked with recommending changes to passport issuance regulations, increasing scrutiny, and closing loopholes exploited by illegal migrants and human traffickers.
This builds on Naqvi’s earlier statement in which he declared that the government would block the issuance of new passports to deportees and tighten the process of issuing travel documents to all citizens.
Addressing International Concerns
The government’s actions come in response to mounting complaints from countries, especially in the Middle East, regarding the influx of Pakistani nationals involved in illegal activities, public begging, or traveling without documentation.
Officials say that such incidents not only damage Pakistan’s reputation globally but also raise security and diplomatic concerns. The crackdown is part of a broader effort to discourage illegal migration and dismantle networks facilitating human smuggling.
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As Pakistan moves to clean up its global image, authorities are sending a clear message: individuals deported for unlawful conduct will face serious consequences at home. With passports cancelled, FIRs lodged, and reissuance blocked for five years, the state is taking its toughest stance yet on deportees. Interior Minister Naqvi concluded, “This is not just a policy shift; it’s a necessary course correction to preserve Pakistan’s dignity on the world stage.”