The Federal Investigation Agency offloaded 39,786 passengers in 2025 under what it described as a lawful, intelligence-based and risk-driven system aimed at curbing irregular migration and human smuggling.
Speaking to a group of senior journalists on Sunday, Immigration Additional Director General Nouman Siddiqui said the offloading of passengers was not an arbitrary exercise but a preventive measure designed to save lives, protect citizens from exploitation and safeguard Pakistan’s image abroad.
He said the decision to stop passengers from boarding flights was based on immigration concerns, suspicious travel patterns, document verification, destination-country requirements and standard operating procedures.
According to Siddiqui, the main objective of the system was to prevent people from falling victim to human traffickers and illegal migration networks.
The issue has remained under public scrutiny in recent months, with passenger offloading drawing criticism from some quarters. However, FIA officials say the practice has become necessary in view of the rising dangers linked to irregular migration.
Siddiqui said the crackdown gained urgency after a series of deadly incidents involving Pakistani migrants. Over the past three years, around 460 Pakistanis have been caught up in such tragedies, with at least 377 reported deaths. Data from the International Organisation for Migration showed that 109 Pakistanis lost their lives in 2025 alone while attempting irregular migration.
He said the matter became even more serious after the Greece boat tragedy in June 2023, in which many Pakistani migrants died in the Mediterranean Sea. A high-level inquiry committee formed after the incident recommended stricter enforcement measures, many of which are now being implemented.
To dismantle human smuggling networks, the FIA has registered 2,421 cases since December 2024 and arrested 3,130 agents. Authorities have also seized property worth Rs961.71 million, recovered Rs87.7 million and frozen bank accounts amounting to Rs239.63 million.
Siddiqui said many offloaded passengers were found attempting to travel through suspicious routes, fake job schemes, forged documents, fraudulent sponsorships or high-risk transit patterns linked to organised smuggling networks.
To improve screening, the FIA’s Risk Analysis Unit developed five risk profiles to help immigration staff identify suspected travellers and separate them from genuine passengers. These profiles are reviewed regularly.
According to the FIA, the measures have led to a 75 percent reduction in deportations linked to beggary and a 31 percent decline in deportations due to forged documents. Overall deportations from different countries dropped by 16 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. The agency also cited Frontex data showing a 64 percent reduction in illegal border crossings into Europe by Pakistani nationals in the first two months of 2025-26.
Siddiqui said offloaded passengers were divided into two categories: those stopped by the FIA on immigration or risk grounds, and those who missed travel for reasons unrelated to the agency. Besides the 39,786 passengers offloaded by the FIA, another 34,688 were prevented from travelling due to airline issues, technical faults, bad weather, self-offloading, seasonal border closures or action by other departments, including Customs, the Anti Narcotics Force, the Airport Security Force and police.
To reduce inconvenience for genuine travellers, FIA Immigration has set up pre-departure facilitation desks at zonal offices so passengers can verify their travel documents before buying tickets. A 24/7 helpline has also been established for complaints and assistance.
Passengers who believe they were wrongly offloaded can approach the relevant border checkpost in-charge for immediate review and may be allowed to travel if found eligible.
Siddiqui said immigration officials often have to make quick decisions under pressure, and while some passengers appear genuine at first, deeper checks may reveal links to traffickers or illegal migration routes. He warned that failure to act in such cases could leave people vulnerable to detention, exploitation or even death abroad.
He said the FIA has also proposed new legislation to strengthen immigration controls and create clearer remedial mechanisms for affected travellers. A Joint Working Group comprising the FIA, the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has also been formed to facilitate genuine overseas workers while tightening anti-smuggling measures.
Siddiqui maintained that the FIA remained committed to balancing the facilitation of genuine travellers with the prevention of irregular migration, human trafficking and the loss of Pakistani lives.
