Meeting to review measures to combat human trafficking and illegal travel abroad
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reported at a review meeting held on Saturday that 451 people involved in human trafficking and illegal travel networks had been arrested this year. As a result, the number of Pakistanis traveling illegally to Europe fell by 47%, and similar reductions were seen in illegal travel to the UK and Gulf countries.
According to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, relevant authorities are taking steps to address human trafficking, such as the Federal Home Minister’s personal visit to airports to review recent cases of offloading. “The Minister’s proactive approach to airports is highly commendable,” he said.
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Key factors discussed during the meeting that contribute to illegal migration included the misuse of work, visit and tourist visas, as well as incidents of offloading and deportation. Many of the deported passengers were from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Malaysia and Oman.
He stated that measures against illegal travel and suspicious travel documents must be managed to avoid affecting travelers in possession of valid documents.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to improve coordination between the Immigrant Protectorate, the FIA and other related institutions to ensure that people traveling legally to work abroad do not face disruption. In addition, he highlighted the need to use technology to speed up the immigration process.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also called for continued efforts to root out corrupt elements within the FIA as 196 officers and staff have already been sacked for corruption.
The FIA has introduced a Risk Assessment Unit that focuses on passenger screening and incorporates data on deported or illegally traveling passengers. In an effort to streamline processes, work is also underway to implement electronic gates at airports, and access to advanced passenger information and passenger name records will be provided to identify potentially illegal travel documents in advance.
A mobile application is being developed to track passenger data, and sections of the FIA’s Integrated Border Management and Information Technology System are being restructured to improve efficiency. Additionally, AI is being used to improve surveillance and curb illegal travel.
The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Home Affairs Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry and other senior government officials.
