ISLAMABAD (Agencies) – Pakistani authorities have revealed that nearly 10,000 citizens who travelled to the United Kingdom on student visas later applied for asylum, raising fresh concerns about the misuse of legal immigration channels and its impact on Pakistan’s international standing.
The disclosure came during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz, where lawmakers received detailed briefings on illegal immigration, passport management policies and proposed reforms to Pakistan’s criminal justice system.
During the session, Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Dr Usman Anwar highlighted the growing challenges posed by irregular migration and human smuggling networks. He warned that individuals attempting to settle abroad through illegal means were damaging Pakistan’s reputation and creating diplomatic concerns with foreign governments.
According to the FIA chief, authorities have identified several worrying migration trends. He informed the committee that 580 Pakistanis who travelled to Belarus failed to return to the country, while around 10,000 individuals who entered the United Kingdom on student visas later sought political asylum.
Dr Anwar also disclosed that human smugglers have begun using alternative transit routes through Malaysia and Uzbekistan to move migrants illegally towards Europe and other destinations. He said law enforcement agencies were closely monitoring these emerging routes and taking measures to dismantle the criminal networks involved.
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The committee was informed that FIA immigration authorities intensified enforcement efforts throughout 2025. As a result, 39,786 passengers attempting to travel abroad without valid documentation or on suspicious travel arrangements were offloaded at airports and border points. Additionally, more than 3,000 individuals were prevented from leaving the country after being flagged through stop lists, watch lists and Interpol alerts.
Officials also reported a sharp increase in cases involving Pakistanis overstaying abroad after entering on valid visas. During the current year alone, approximately 7,000 Pakistani nationals travelled to Azerbaijan on visit visas and did not return within the expected period. Furthermore, authorities repatriated 175 Pakistani nationals who had been arrested in Libya while attempting irregular migration routes.
Despite these challenges, the FIA claimed significant progress in curbing illegal activities associated with migration. Dr Anwar told lawmakers that organised begging networks operating internationally had been reduced by 75 per cent, while incidents involving forged travel documents had declined by 31 per cent due to stricter enforcement and improved monitoring mechanisms.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry informed the committee that Pakistan had recorded a 47 per cent reduction in illegal migration, a development he said had been acknowledged by authorities in both Europe and the United States.
The minister said the government was working to simplify legitimate travel procedures while tightening safeguards against document fraud and identity misuse. He announced that a revised passport policy had been prepared to address growing concerns regarding lost and stolen passports.
Talal Chaudhry explained that repeated claims of passport loss often trigger suspicion among authorities because such documents can sometimes be misused for fraudulent purposes. He noted that identity theft and document trafficking remain global challenges and that every reported case of passport loss undergoes thorough investigation before action is taken.
The meeting also focused on long-awaited reforms to Pakistan’s criminal justice framework. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar briefed committee members on a comprehensive package of proposed amendments designed to modernise outdated legal procedures and improve judicial efficiency.
The law minister said detailed discussions on the reform package would commence after the presentation and passage of the federal budget. He rejected the notion that old laws automatically become ineffective, noting that many countries continue to rely on decades-old legal frameworks that remain functional and relevant.
However, Tarar stressed that evolving technology, digital services and changing social realities require corresponding updates to criminal laws and court procedures. He informed lawmakers that amendments had been proposed to 55 provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), adding that experts had spent the past three years reviewing and drafting the reforms.
According to the minister, the proposed changes aim to streamline court proceedings, expand digital legal services, facilitate online registration of cases and improve access to justice for ordinary citizens. He noted that prominent criminal law experts and legal practitioners had been consulted during the drafting process to ensure the reforms address practical challenges within the judicial system.
Tarar further observed that existing laws often provide extensive procedural protections for accused persons while offering comparatively fewer safeguards and conveniences for complainants. He said the proposed reform package seeks to create a more balanced legal framework that protects the rights of all parties involved in legal proceedings.
The law minister concluded by saying that the draft amendments would be formally presented to the parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny before being introduced for legislative approval, describing the reforms as an important step towards strengthening Pakistan’s justice system and improving public confidence in legal institutions.
