Clampdown at Lahore airport, 2,500 people held for irregular emigration

The Federal Investigation Agency is intensifying internal controls to combat corruption. Experts warn that repressive measures alone will not stop migrants. The country continues to show serious signs of economic instability.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Pakistani authorities have intensified controls at airports to combat irregular emigration following a rising number of maritime accidents in the Mediterranean.

In the last month alone, 2,500 passengers have been detained at Lahore airport in possession of “fake, suspicious, or incomplete documents,” Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said yesterday. Overall, 8,812 people were stopped before leaving in 2024.

The authorities also blocked passengers from boarding planes bound for countries deemed transit destinations for migrants seeking to reach Europe, most notably Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Egypt and Libya.

“A comprehensive review of passengers’ travel records is being carried out,” a FIA spokesperson said. “Operations against human trafficking networks have been intensified as FIA remains committed to a zero-tolerance policy against this heinous crime,” said FIA Lahore chief Sarfraz Khan Virk.

Last December, after a boat sank off the coast of Greece resulting in the death of more than 80 Pakistanis, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched an appeal to stop human trafficking, introducing a series of measures to fight corruption within government agencies.

Following the tragedy, some FIA officials were arrested on suspicion of conducting inadequate checks at Faisalabad airport, the point of departure for the people who drowned at sea. As a result of the investigations, 65 officials were blacklisted, 13 were dismissed, while three constables saw their promotion stopped.

For experts, repressive measures are not enough to reduce the flow of migrants leaving Pakistan.

Contrary to popular belief, migrants often come from wealthy parts of the country, from where many leave because they see how families of other migrants in Europe have benefitted economically.

An investigation by the Dawn newspaper reports a significant increase in departures in recent years despite government attempts to deter migrants.

Deaths at sea are also on the rise: 2,200 in 2024 alone, including 1,700 along the central Mediterranean route.

The average cost to reach Europe is around US$ 12,000 per person (3.3 million Pakistani rupees), which generates a total of about US$ 285 million.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to show signs of instability. In recent days, the Fitch rating agency warned that the country will still need external financing this year, despite some recent progress in putting its fiscal house in order.

Pakistan’s external debt stands at more than US billion, which requires structural reforms to improve the fiscal and business environment, according to the International Monetary Fund, which has agreed to a US billion loan to bolster the country's foreign exchange reserves.

To this end, the lender announced yesterday that it would send a delegation by March to assess Pakistan's progress in fighting corruption and improving governance.

• pakistan
• lahore
• airport
• migrants
• sea
• mediterranean
• international monetary fund
• imf
• debt