Stricter airport screening introduced after the 2023 Libya migrant boat tragedy has led to nearly 40,000 passengers being offloaded across Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has prevented nearly 40,000 passengers from travelling abroad over the past three years as part of intensified airport screening measures aimed at combating illegal migration and human trafficking.
According to official records, 39,786 passengers were offloaded at airports nationwide after the agency strengthened immigration checks following the 2023 Libya migrant boat tragedy. The enhanced scrutiny was introduced to identify suspicious travel patterns and prevent human smuggling networks from exploiting vulnerable travellers.
The highest number of passengers were stopped due to incomplete or invalid travel documents. More than 20,000 individuals were denied boarding because they failed to meet documentation requirements for international travel.
Authorities also offloaded around 12,600 passengers over concerns regarding suspicious travel plans or insufficient financial resources. Officials said many of these travellers, including labourers and daily wage earners, intended to visit destinations such as Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand on tourist or religious visas despite lacking the means to finance their trips.
The FIA also blocked thousands of passengers for additional reasons, including placement on stop lists, international alerts, incorrect documentation and unusual travel routes that raised security concerns.
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