Pakistan intensifies fight against human smuggling as maritime deaths mount

A complex web of economic hardship, cultural pressures and limited legal migration options is fueling a surge in human trafficking from Pakistani regions like Gujarat, Mandi Bahauddin and Wazirabad, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi told the National Assembly in a comprehensive report on Wednesday.

Naqvi's report comes amid a series of devastating migrant boat tragedies. The most recent incident occurred on February 8, when a vessel carrying 63 Pakistanis sank off Libya's coast. This disaster follows January's incident off Greece that claimed approximately 40 Pakistani lives, with 35 others still missing. Last year's "Greece Boat Tragedy" in June 2023 remains one of the deadliest, where 286 Pakistanis perished when an overcrowded trawler capsized en route to Italy.

According to Naqvi's report, families often unwittingly enable traffickers by encouraging relatives to seek better opportunities abroad, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, despite being unable to afford legal migration channels. The problem is compounded by success stories from Pakistani expatriates and minimal media coverage of trafficking risks, leaving vulnerable populations unaware of the dangers.

"Illiteracy and desperation make uneducated people easy targets for smugglers' false promises," Naqvi said, noting that limited job opportunities and the high cost of legal migration drive many to seek illegal routes abroad. Traffickers have exploited these vulnerabilities, charging up to PKR 2.4 million per person, with some requiring advances of PKR 250,000.

Massive crackdown yields arrests, asset seizures

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has responded with an unprecedented nationwide operation, arresting 416 human smugglers, including 17 proclaimed offenders from a deadly 2023 Greece boat incident and six most wanted criminals from the red book. Authorities have seized properties worth PKR 661.63 million ($2.2 million), recovered PKR10.455 million in cash, and frozen bank accounts totaling PKR 73.51 million.

However, the agency's track record raises concerns. Of 3,098 people arrested for human smuggling across its top 10 jurisdictions over a four-and-a-half-year period, only 257 (8.2%) were convicted, with just 36 receiving prison sentences. The rest received minimal fines, with authorities recovering only PKR 0.4 million from all suspects combined.

The crackdown has also dismantled 24 trafficking gangs, leading to property seizures of PKR 201.196 million, cash recoveries of PKR 1.4 million, and frozen accounts worth PKR 27.99 million. The FIA has issued 35 mutual legal assistance requests and 26 Interpol red notices to pursue fugitive traffickers internationally.

The agency has also taken internal action, dismissing 50 officials for alleged collusion with traffickers and blacklisting 65 more from immigration posts, although controversially no criminal charges were filed.

This follows an investigation that revealed over 60 FIA officials helped traffic more than 4,000 Pakistanis to Greece since 2023, with corrupt officials stationed across major airports: 20 in Faisalabad, nine each in Sialkot, Quetta, and Peshawar, seven in Lahore, four in Karachi, and three in Islamabad.

To strengthen prosecution efforts, the agency has issued new Standard Operating Procedures for investigating trafficking cases and launched a dedicated hotline (051-111-247-786) with support from the International Labor Organization and Australian government funding.

Modernization of border security

Pakistan is significantly upgrading its anti-trafficking infrastructure, establishing Second Line of Control Offices at major international airports in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Multan. A new Risk Analysis Unit at FIA headquarters provides threat assessment and resource allocation, analyzing trends and creating detailed reports to optimize border management.

The cornerstone of these efforts is an upgraded Integrated Border Management System, now operational at all FIA immigration checkpoints for air, sea, and land routes. The system connects multiple security stakeholders, including Interpol, NADRA, IMPASS, Intelligence Bureau, ISI, Police, Customs, and other agencies, maintaining comprehensive traveler data and Watch Lists for suspect identification.

The FIA has established link offices in key transit and destination countries including Iran, Greece, UAE, Spain, Italy and Oman, with plans to add Saudi Arabia. The agency is also strengthening three major anti-trafficking laws: the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, Prevention of Smuggling of Migrant Act 2018, and Emigration Ordinance 1979, focusing on increased penalties and stricter minimum sentences.

Growing international cooperation

Over 2,200 FIA officers received specialized training in 2024 through partnerships with ICMPD, UNODC, ILO, and IOM, focusing on investigation techniques, evidence collection, and victim support. The agency's Media Cell has launched extensive awareness campaigns across the country, including 1,153 sessions in educational institutions and community spaces throughout key districts.

Pakistan has expanded its international engagement through the Budapest Process for Silk Route Countries, the Bali Process covering South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and the STARSOM Project connecting Africa and the Americas. A comprehensive five-year National Action Plan (2021-25), developed with UNODC, coordinates institutional capacity building, awareness raising, and international cooperation efforts.

Recent initiatives demonstrate the scale of Pakistan's commitment. An Inter-Ministerial Consultative Workshop in October 2024 brought together more than 80 participants from government departments, international organizations, and provincial authorities to review anti-trafficking strategies. In April, the FIA and UNODC hosted a Regional Workshop on Smuggling of Migrants, drawing 120 participants from 10 countries to share best practices.

The World Day against Trafficking in Persons, organized in July 2024 by the FIA in collaboration with UNODC, IOM, ICMPD, and SSDO, united government officials, diplomats, and international organizations in Islamabad. The event highlighted Pakistan's national awareness campaign, which has reached 31 districts with targeted anti-trafficking messaging.

"These comprehensive measures represent our most aggressive effort yet to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable populations," Naqvi said. "We are attacking this problem from every angle - enforcement, prevention, and international cooperation."