The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) clarified that some passengers with work visas are being stopped at different airports across the country due to suspicion of human trafficking.
Director General of FIA, Riffat Mukhtar, during an interview, stated that the authority is aware of increasing reports about passengers being offloaded at airports, especially from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
He expressed concern over assumptions that all workers going abroad were being stopped without a proper reason.
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The FIA official asserted that passengers were stopped after receiving specific complaints, stating that the checks were part of routine immigration procedures designed to protect citizens from becoming targets of human traffickers operating through foreign routes.
According to FIA, several passengers raised red flags during interviews with some travellers displayed patterns similar to victims trafficked from Gulf states to African ports, where they are later moved by boats toward Europe.
“These cases required immediate questioning to determine whether the passengers were travelling willingly or under pressure,” said an FIA official.
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The agency added that immigration officers also identified passengers whose digital records showed irregularities.
Some travellers presented mismatched personal information, while others could not clearly explain their employment details despite having work visas in their passports.
FIA clarified that only a limited number of travellers were held back for deeper investigation, however, those with serious doubts were handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for proper verification and counselling assurance.
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Officials highlighted that the majority of passengers were cleared to board their flights after short interviews.
The agency stressed that its actions are meant to prevent Pakistani citizens from falling into criminal networks that take advantage of vulnerable job seekers. FIA urged the public and media to avoid assuming wrongdoing unless facts are confirmed. The agency said it remains committed to safe, legal and transparent travel for all passengers.
