Islamabad, Dec 31 Pakistan has blocked passports of over 10,000 of its citizens, who have been deported from Iran after getting caught while trying to use the route to enter Europe illegally.
The move comes as part of the government's action against illegal human traffickers in the country, initiated after over 40 Pakistanis died recently when a boat carrying illegal immigrants capsized in Greek territorial waters.
According to sources in Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, passports of 10,454 individuals have been blocked after they were arrested by the Iranian authorities for illegally crossing into their territory.
"These individuals tried to enter Iran from Pakistan’s Balochistan and its porous borders. Their final destination was Europe. They were being trafficked by local handlers in Pakistan, Iran and had more contacts waiting ahead to help them reach Europe illegally," a ministry official told IANS.
"After their arrest, these individuals were handed over to Pakistani officials at the Taftan border in Balochistan's Chagai district," he added.
The arrests highlights the alarming number of people desirous of using illegal means to leave Pakistan and reach Europe via Iran.
The Ministry of Interior maintained that it is in process of blocking passports of thousands of more individuals arrested and deported from other countries.
Already, as per sources, at least 2,470 passports of individuals involved in drug-related crimes in the UAE have been blocked while 1,500 passports of individuals deported from Iraq and over 4,000 passports of people detained in Saudi Arabia have also been blocked.
Majority of these individuals belong to Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
"Majority of the people caught taking such a dangerous, unpredictable and unconventional route are youngsters, including several minors," said Syed Liaqat Banori, Chairman, Society of Human Rights and Prisoners' Aid (SHARP) Pakistan.
"Shockingly, families of these individuals support their actions even while knowing that they are risking their lives in the process. The human trafficking network is also massive and spread across different countries," he stated.
The issue of human trafficking is not new to Pakistan. During 2023, at least 8,272 Pakistanis were arrested in Iran for illegally entering from the Balochistan borders. Details reveal that illegal transfer of Pakistanis is done through at least five districts, all of them along Balochistan's border with Iran - including Kech, Gwadar, Chagai, Washuk and Panjgur.
"Between 2020 and 2024, over 62,000 Pakistani citizens, primarily from Punjab province, were arrested for illegally entering into Iran from Pakistan," reveals Banori.
The issue of human trafficking has become a major embarrassment for Pakistan as thousands of these illegal immigrants have been deported from countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and several other places for indulging in criminal activities, including drug peddling, begging, etc.
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