FIA stops 40,000 passengers in three years

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stopped nearly 40,000 passengers from travelling abroad during the last three years as part of strict airport screening measures.

The action was taken after authorities increased checks following the 2023 Libya migrant boat tragedy. The move aimed to prevent illegal migration and human trafficking.

According to official records, 39,786 passengers were offloaded from airports across Pakistan during this period.

The largest number of passengers were stopped because they did not have complete travel documents. More than 20,000 travellers were prevented from boarding flights due to missing or invalid paperwork.

Around 12,600 passengers were stopped because of suspicious travel plans or concerns about their financial background.

Officials said some travellers appeared unable to support the expenses of international trips. Many were workers or daily wage earners travelling on tourist or religious visas to countries such as Türkiye, the UAE and Thailand.

The FIA also stopped thousands of passengers due to other reasons. Some travellers were placed on stop lists, while others faced restrictions linked to international alerts.

Several hundred passengers were prevented from travelling because of incorrect documents or unusual travel routes.

The agency has continued strengthening passenger checks at airports to control illegal migration, curb human smuggling and ensure safer international travel.