The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has instructed its deputy directors of immigration nationwide to intensify vigilance while processing passengers at airports in an effort to curb widespread human trafficking.
Officials have been specifically directed to closely monitor first-time international travelers aged 15 to 40 during immigration procedures at nine cities. Particular scrutiny will be applied to young passengers flying via two specific airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, according to an FIA advisory. Additionally, a more robust system for profiling passengers traveling to Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Mauritania, Iraq, Turkiye, Qatar, Kuwait, and Kyrgyzstan has been mandated.
A statement from the agency highlighted that human traffickers frequently use 15 transit countries to smuggle Pakistanis into Europe. The advisory was formulated after analyzing the IBMS database from July to December, reviewing the movement of travelers on visit, tourism, religious, or educational visas to these destinations.
Furthermore, immigration officials have been ordered to conduct thorough monitoring and profiling of passengers from districts including Mandi Bahauddin, Gujarat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bhimber, Jhelum, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, and Sheikhupura. The verification process will involve strict scrutiny of all relevant travel documents, such as return tickets and hotel bookings.
Special emphasis will be placed on reviewing visit and tourist visas, with rigorous interviews conducted to assess the financial arrangements and travel intentions of suspicious passengers.
The FIA has also instructed immigration officers to maintain detailed records of such cases and promptly report any suspicious activity.
Sources revealed that due to the absence of a clear advisory policy at the country’s airports over the past two decades, officials have been hesitant to offload passengers suspected of human smuggling.