Nearly 250,000 Pakistanis were deported from various countries during the years 2012-2015, a report quoting statistics issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed on Saturday.

The "Labour Migration from Pakistan: 2015 Status Report" showed that a total of 242,817 Pakistanis were deported over the time period, according to the FIA's deportation statistics.

The year with the highest number of Pakistani deportees is 2014 with 73,064 deportees, whereas 2010 has the smallest number at 46,032.


Irregular Pakistani migrants deported between 2012-15

  • Saudi Arabia: 131,643
  • United Arab Emirates: 32,458
  • Iran: 28,684
  • Oman: 17,248
  • Greece: 14,145
  • United Kingdom: 9,778
  • Malaysia: 8,861

The report said that around 513,231 individuals were deported from different countries from 2007 to June 2015, suggesting an upward trend over time which may be indicative of an increase in the human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

A study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has found that the majority of irregular migration involved migrants originating from Punjab, especially from Gujrat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Sialkot.

Most of the individuals deported from Saudi Arabia and the UAE were job seekers and businessmen, whereas many of those deported from Iran were in transit to Greece.

Deportations from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is attributed mainly to security-related issues, the report claimed.

From 2005-06 to 2014-15, around 932,051 migrant workers were stranded in destination countries due to lack of proper documentation and thus deported.

The largest number of stranded Pakistanis at 882,887 was deported from Jeddah, followed by Doha and Qatar at 4,200.

Around 14,628 migrant workers were detained in jails in destination countries during the said period, while consulate officials or community welfare attaches made 4,200 monitoring visits to the employment sites of the migration workers.

Most of the visits were made in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (1,863) followed by Kuwait (652), Manama (496) and Seoul (400), the report said.

Opinion

Editorial

Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...
Under siege
Updated 03 May, 2024

Under siege

Whether through direct censorship, withholding advertising, harassment or violence, the press in Pakistan navigates a hazardous terrain.
Meddlesome ways
03 May, 2024

Meddlesome ways

AFTER this week’s proceedings in the so-called ‘meddling case’, it appears that the majority of judges...
Mass transit mess
03 May, 2024

Mass transit mess

THAT Karachi — one of the world’s largest megacities — does not have a mass transit system worth the name is ...