Pakistan to impose stricter passport rules to curb beggary and illegal immigration

Pakistan will impose new conditions on passport issuance to stop the spread of beggary and illegal immigration abroad, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday, adding that the crackdown on the beggar mafia is intensifying.

Naqvi made the comments during a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmed Al-Maliki at the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad’s Diplomatic Enclave.

According to the Interior Ministry, the two officials discussed mutual interests, including efforts to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen cooperation in combating transnational crimes like human and drug trafficking.

Naqvi said that new restrictions are being introduced to prevent individuals involved in organized beggary and undocumented migration from obtaining Pakistani passports. These steps come as authorities try to dismantle trafficking networks that have exploited loopholes in the country’s travel documentation system.

“The siege has been tightened against the Pakistani beggar mafia,” Naqvi said. “We are taking strict action to stop illegal immigration and the misuse of passports.”

The interior minister also highlighted that Saudi citizens do not require a visa to travel to Pakistan.

“There is no visa for Saudi citizens to come to Pakistan,” he said. “They can come whenever they want.”

During the meeting, Naqvi thanked the Saudi government for its continued support of Pakistan in both economic and social sectors. He also expressed appreciation for the participation of a high-level Saudi delegation in the recent Gulf Cooperation Council Anti-Narcotics Conference.

Pakistan is seeking to enhance intelligence-sharing and operational cooperation with Riyadh to stop drug and human smuggling routes that pass through or originate from Pakistan, Naqvi said.

He also commended Saudi Arabia for its assistance in securing the release of five Pakistani family members who had been imprisoned in a drug case.

“Thanks to the cooperation of the Saudi government, five innocent members of the family were released and have returned home safely,” Naqvi said.

Ambassador Al-Maliki reaffirmed the strength of Saudi-Pakistan relations and pledged continued collaboration on matters of mutual interest.

“There are very close relations between our two countries,” he said. “We want to promote them further.”

Saudi Arabia remains Pakistan’s largest source of remittances, with over 2.5 million Pakistanis living and working in the kingdom.

In 2023, the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Affairs was informed that around 90% of beggars arrested abroad turned out to be from Pakistan.

In November last year, the Saudi Deputy Interior Minister expressed particular concern about the increasing number of Pakistani beggars in Saudi Arabia, prompting action from Pakistani authorities.