Saudi, UAE & Azerbaijan deport Pakistanis for begging

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Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan have deported thousands of Pakistan nationals this year on charges of begging, even as several Pakistanis who visited parts of Southeast Asia this year on tourist visas have not returned to the country.

The development is another setback for Pakistan’s outreach to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states, after the UAE, Oman and Qatar imposed visa restrictions on Pakistanis, citing indulgence in crimes, extremism and drug trafficking, as ET reported earlier.

“At least 51,000 Pakistanis were offloaded this year alone at various airports,” Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general Riffat Mukhtar Raja has told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Rights.

While Pakistan attempts to revitalise its ties with Saudi Arabia, Riyadh this year has deported 24,000 individuals for begging, which was the highest number of Pakistanis who were sent back by any country.

The UAE deported 6,000 Pakistanis on similar grounds, while Azerbaijan expelled around 2,500 beggars of Pakistani origin, it has been learnt.

The step by Azerbaijan is significant given the nature of Islamabad’s close ties with Baku.

Sources said Azerbaijan has a strict policy of deportation even if a national from a friendly country has broken local laws.

Raja told the parliamentary panel that many of those stopped from travelling were trying to go to Europe and Saudi Arabia.

Those travelling to the Kingdom were using the pretext of performing Umrah, while those intending to European countries were found lacking supporting documents.

The committee was also informed about Pakistanis who went to different countries but never returned. Raja said that 24,000 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia this year, of whom 12,000 have yet to return, while 4,000 went to Myanmar on tourist visas and around 2,500 did not come back.

Raja also claimed that several Bangladeshi nationals were found attempting to travel illegally to Europe via Pakistan. This development comes amid an improvement in Pakistan-Bangladesh ties after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year.

Notwithstanding Pakistan’s attempt over the past year to re-establish itself as a key interlocutor in the Gulf region, certain countries in the region are cutting back on visas for Pakistani nationals.

The UAE has halted the issuance of most visas for Pakistani citizens, a move attributed to rising concerns over criminal activity by individuals travelling from Pakistan.