Federal Investigation Agency offloaded nearly 40,000 passengers from international flights in 2025 under what it described as a lawful, intelligence-led immigration system designed to curb irregular migration and dismantle human smuggling networks.
According to the agency, 39,786 passengers were stopped from travelling abroad during the year after failing risk-based immigration checks. Officials say the measure is frequently misunderstood but remains a critical tool to prevent exploitation, loss of life, and reputational damage to Pakistan.
Speaking to a group of senior journalists, Immigration Additional Director General Nouman Siddiqui said offloading decisions are not arbitrary and are based on clearly defined standard operating procedures. These include travel history, document verification, destination-country requirements, suspicious transit routes, and intelligence inputs.
He said the primary objective of the policy is the protection of human life, particularly in light of repeated tragedies involving Pakistanis attempting to migrate through illegal routes.
The issue has become increasingly urgent following a series of fatal incidents linked to irregular migration. FIA data shows that around 460 Pakistanis have been affected by such incidents over the past three years, including at least 377 confirmed deaths.
Separately, figures from the International Organization for Migration indicate that 109 Pakistani nationals died in 2025 while attempting irregular migration.
Siddiqui said enforcement intensified after the June 2023 Greece boat disaster, in which dozens of Pakistanis lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea. A high-level inquiry committee set up by the prime minister after the tragedy recommended stricter controls, many of which have since been implemented.
As part of a broader crackdown, the FIA has registered 2,421 cases since December 2024 and arrested 3,130 individuals allegedly involved in human smuggling and trafficking. Authorities have also seized properties worth Rs. 961.71 million, recovered Rs. 87.7 million in cash, and frozen bank accounts valued at Rs. 239.63 million.
“These figures show the scale and seriousness of human smuggling networks operating in the country,” Siddiqui said.
Officials said many of the offloaded passengers were travelling through high-risk routes or using forged documents, fake overseas employment schemes, fraudulent sponsorships, or transit patterns commonly linked to organized smuggling groups.
To strengthen screening, the FIA’s Risk Analysis Unit has developed five structured risk profiles to help immigration officers differentiate between genuine travelers and suspected irregular migrants. These profiles are periodically reviewed and updated.
According to the agency, the measures have produced measurable results. Deportations linked to beggary have fallen by 75 percent, while deportations due to document forgery dropped by 31 percent. Overall deportations declined by 16 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The FIA also cited data from Frontex showing a 64 percent reduction in illegal border crossings into Europe by Pakistani nationals during the first two months of the 2025–26 period.
Officials clarified that offloaded passengers fall into two categories. The first includes those stopped directly by FIA immigration officers on risk or documentation grounds.
The second includes passengers not offloaded by FIA, such as those affected by airline issues, flight cancellations, technical faults, adverse weather, self-offloading, seasonal border closures, or arrests requested by other agencies.
In addition to the 39,786 passengers offloaded by FIA in 2025, another 34,688 passengers were stopped for non-FIA reasons. These included actions requested by Customs, the Anti-Narcotics Force, the Airport Security Force, and police authorities.
A report submitted to the Senate of Pakistan stated that 132 passengers were offloaded by FIA immigration officers during the past year, while 85 FIA officials were penalized for misuse of authority.
Separately, a National Assembly of Pakistan standing committee was told in December that more than 51,000 passengers were stopped at airports in 2025 after failing immigration checks, with Lahore and Karachi airports accounting for the majority of cases.
To reduce inconvenience for genuine travelers, FIA Immigration has introduced pre-departure facilitation desks at zonal offices, allowing passengers to verify their documents before purchasing tickets.
Passengers who believe they were offloaded due to misunderstanding or incomplete information can seek immediate review from the relevant border checkpost in-charge. A 24/7 helpline has also been established to handle complaints and provide assistance.
