FIA Offloaded Nearly 40,000 Passengers in Three-Year Airport Crackdown
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has offloaded 39,786 passengers from airports across Pakistan over the past three years as part of an intensified crackdown on illegal migration and human trafficking, according to official documents.
The stricter screening measures were introduced after the 2023 Libya boat tragedy, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to strengthen immigration checks at all international airports.
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| Reason for Offloading | Passengers |
|---|---|
| Lack of required or complete travel documents | 20,408 |
| Suspicious travel plan or low financial profile | 12,673 |
| Name on Stop List or Interpol restrictions | 3,450 |
| Suspicious or inappropriate travel route | 505 |
| Fake or forged travel documents | 281 |
| Underage passengers | 258 |
| Unsatisfactory travel history | 176 |
| Documents held for further verification | 145 |
| Travel on visit visa with intent to seek employment | 24 |
| Total Offloaded (3 Years) | 39,786 |
According to the report, the largest number of passengers—20,408—were stopped from travelling because they did not possess the required travel documents or had incomplete paperwork.
Another 12,673 passengers were offloaded after immigration officials found their travel plans or financial profiles suspicious. The FIA said many of these individuals had no previous international travel history and appeared financially unable to afford trips for Umrah or tourism to destinations such as Türkiye, Dubai, or Thailand, raising concerns that they could be attempting to migrate illegally or fall victim to human trafficking networks.
The documents also reveal that 3,450 passengers were prevented from boarding because their names were on the Stop List or they were subject to travel restrictions imposed by Interpol.
In addition, 505 passengers were offloaded for using suspicious or inappropriate travel routes, while 281 were found carrying forged or fraudulent travel documents, including fake visas, counterfeit work permits, or other falsified supporting papers.
The FIA further reported that 176 passengers were stopped due to unsatisfactory travel histories, while another 145 were offloaded to allow authorities to verify the authenticity of their documents.
Meanwhile, 258 underage passengers were barred from travelling, and 24 individuals attempting to seek employment abroad while travelling on visit visas were also prevented from leaving the country.
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