Over 8 Million Pakistanis Departed Abroad in 2023: FIA Report

According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) annual immigration report, more than 8 million Pakistanis left the country in 2023.

The report indicates that FIA Immigration processed a total of 19.5 million passengers at international arrival and departure counters.

Out of the total passengers, 7.1 million were Pakistani nationals and 2.1 million were foreigners who visited Pakistan, while 8.1 million Pakistani nationals and 2.2 million foreigners departed from the country.Lahore Airport saw the highest number of overseas arrivals and departures, with 3.6 million Pakistani travelers passing through, followed closely by Islamabad Airport with 3.5 million passengers.

The report also highlights the efforts of the FIA Integrated Border Management System, which processed 2935 stop list cases and apprehended 1602 human traffickers. Additionally, 25 most wanted human traffickers were arrested in 2023.

Despite challenges, the US State Department maintained Pakistan’s Tier 2 status in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report for 2023.The report further notes that 1,129 passengers were offloaded due to fake documents, emphasizing the implementation of strict screening measures at airports to prevent such incidents and ensure security.

Zubair Yaqoob

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