Despite no-fly lists, exit controls and repeated warnings, thousands of Pakistanis continue travelling abroad specifically to beg, triggering large-scale deportations and visa restrictions across several countries. Saudi Arabia alone has deported around 56,000 Pakistani nationals over organised begging, while Pakistani authorities offloaded 66,154 passengers in 2025 to prevent begging gangs and illegal migrants from leaving the country, official data shows.

A report in Karachi-based The News International cited the head of Pakistan’s border control security agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Riffat Mukhtar, as saying, “56,000 Pakistanis involved in organised begging were recently deported from Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Arabia, UAE Lead Crackdown on Pakistani Beggars

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as the most affected countries. Riyadh deported about 24,000 Pakistanis this year, while the UAE sent back nearly 6,000 individuals over allegations of begging and criminal activities. Azerbaijan has also deported around 2,500 Pakistani beggars, while similar cases have been reported from Kuwait, Bahrain, and other West Asian states.

Last month, the UAE stopped issuing visas to most Pakistani citizens, citing concerns that some visitors were getting involved in begging and other unlawful activities after arrival.

FIA Data Shows Scale of the Problem

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) revealed that in 2025, airport authorities offloaded 66,154 passengers suspected of involvement in organised begging or illegal migration. Thousands have also been placed on Pakistan’s Exit Control List (ECL) following complaints from foreign governments.

FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar said these syndicates are severely damaging Pakistan’s international image. He added that the trend is not limited to the Gulf, with cases detected involving travel to Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia, including misuse of tourist visas for destinations such as Cambodia and Thailand.

Misuse of Pilgrimage and Tourist Visas

Saudi authorities formally raised the issue in 2024, urging Pakistan to prevent beggars from exploiting Umrah visas to reach Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs warned that failure to curb the practice could negatively affect genuine Pakistani pilgrims performing Umrah and Hajj.

Pakistani pilgrims have frequently complained online about beggars soliciting money inside mosques, shopping centres and even during religious rituals, calling the situation embarrassing and damaging to Pakistan’s reputation.

A report in Karachi-based The News International cited the head of Pakistan’s border control security agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Riffat Mukhtar, as saying, “56,000 Pakistanis involved in organised begging were recently deported from Saudi Arabia.”

Begging Seen as an Organised Enterprise

Legal experts and officials agree that the phenomenon is highly organised. Writing in Dawn, lawyer Rafia Zakaria described begging as a structured industry with recruiters and handlers who send individuals abroad to exploit religious sites and tourist areas.

“One industry in Pakistan that seems to be very organised and has been quite successful in ensuring that its recruits have plenty to do is the begging industry. It is such a successful venture that it has now decided to start exporting to, and expanding in, other countries,” she wrote.

She added, “As many Pakistanis may have seen for themselves during Haj, these beggars set up shop outside the holy places in Makkah and Madinah, where they harass foreign pilgrims for money just as they do shoppers in markets across Pakistan.”

Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis Zeeshan Khanzada previously estimated that around 90% of beggars detained in West Asian countries are Pakistani nationals. Officials warn that this trend is rebounding on law-abiding Pakistanis, who now face tighter visa scrutiny, higher rejection rates, and growing mistrust abroad.

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