Pakistan bans over 52,000 people from traveling amid anti-smuggling efforts

• Over 52,000 individuals have been banned from traveling abroad.
• The Passport Control List (PCL) includes these individuals’ passports.
• The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has updated the list of restricted individuals.

ISLAMABAD: The government has imposed travel restrictions on more than 52,000 individuals in a major effort to combat human smuggling, sources told Geo News on Monday.

Sources familiar with the development revealed that authorities have banned a total of 52,520 people from traveling abroad.

Authorities have imposed restrictions on Pakistanis who were deported from the United States, European countries, and Middle Eastern nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

The Directorate of Passport and Immigration has added these individuals’ passports to the Passport Control List (PCL), while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has received the updated list of restricted individuals.

Authorities have included Pakistani nationals deported from the UAE and Saudi Arabia for criminal activities in the list. They are tightening measures to prevent human smuggling and illegal migration in response to rising global concerns.

Sources revealed that Saudi Arabia has deported a total of 4,210 beggars so far. The FIA has imposed travel bans on 1,546 deportees across various zones.

Authorities have also restricted travel for 331 beggars deported from other countries. Additionally, they have barred 46,433 individuals who returned from prisons in the UAE from traveling abroad.

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