Karachi, February 2, 2025: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said on Sunday it has arrested 10 persons deported from Saudi Arabia for allegedly begging in the Kingdom despite traveling there on Umrah visas.
The trend of beggars abusing visas to beg in foreign countries has Pakistan worried that it could impact genuine visa-seekers and particularly religious pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. According to widespread media reports, Riyadh raised this issue with Islamabad at various forums last year.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in November 2024 that an “effective crackdown” was being carried out across the country against Pakistanis traveling to the Kingdom on pilgrim and other visas and resorting to begging.
“In a major operation by FIA Immigration at Karachi airport, 10 suspects involved in begging under the guise of Umrah were arrested,” the agency said in a statement.
The suspects were deported from the Kingdom for being involved in begging and had arrived in Karachi via flight SV-704. The FIA said they hail from Pakistan’s Rajanpur, Naushahro Feroze, Kashmore, Lahore, Peshawar, Mohmand and Larkana cities and districts.
The agency said its initial investigation proved the suspects were begging in Saudi Arabia for several months, adding that they were transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle in Karachi for further legal action.
“FIA Immigration is conducting strict screening at all airports,” the FIA said. “Passengers going abroad are being checked from all aspects. Strict action is being taken against those involved in begging.”
Pakistanis are the second-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom, with over 2.5 million living and working in Saudi Arabia, the top source of remittances to the South Asian country.
