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

Regional engagement
Updated 13 May, 2025

Regional engagement

If terrorist groups continue to find sanctuary in Afghanistan, regional integration and increased trade will be difficult to achieve.
Hostages to hostility
13 May, 2025

Hostages to hostility

AS people breathe a sigh of relief after being locked with India in a hair-trigger stand-off, there are those for...
Water crisis
13 May, 2025

Water crisis

IN large parts of Karachi, there is no water to be had. The taps have run dry for the past 12 days, bowsers have ...
The way forward
Updated 12 May, 2025

The way forward

An out-of-the-box solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris is the only hope for long-term peace in South Asia.
AI opportunity
12 May, 2025

AI opportunity

TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday,...
Ace mountaineer
12 May, 2025

Ace mountaineer

NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s...