As many as 950 Pakistani nationals were deported from various countries, including the United States, over the past year on allegations of begging abroad, while 49 passengers attempting to travel overseas for the same purpose were offloaded at Karachi Airport.
According to data covering the period from 2025 to 2026, Saudi Arabia accounted for the highest number of deportations at 897, making it the single largest source of returnees among all countries.
The United Arab Emirates followed with 22 deportations, while Iraq and Oman each recorded 11. Qatar deported five Pakistani nationals, and Bahrain and Malaysia each deported one.
At Karachi Airport, authorities intercepted and offloaded passengers suspected of traveling abroad to beg before they could depart.
Saudi Arabia-bound passengers made up the largest share of those offloaded, with 21 stopped from boarding flights. Seven passengers headed to Bahrain were offloaded, along with five each bound for the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Four passengers destined for Oman were also offloaded, as were three headed to Malaysia. One passenger each traveling to Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Turkiye was similarly prevented from departing.
All offloaded passengers have been handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for further legal action.
