International embarrassment as Saudi Arabia expels 56,000 Pakistani beggars

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): Pakistan, which is battling economic crisis and inflation, is now forced to face embarrassment at the international level due to the actions of its own citizens. The increasing incidents of begging by Pakistani citizens in the rich Islamic countries of the Middle East have tarnished the credibility of the Pakistan government. The situation has deteriorated so much that Saudi Arabia has taken strict action and deported around 56,000 Pakistanis from the country on the charges of begging. After continuous warnings from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pakistan government has now been forced to take action.

Following pressure from friendly countries, Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has launched a major campaign to crack down on organized begging gangs. So far in 2025, the FIA has prevented 66,154 suspected travelers from traveling abroad and placed thousands on the Exit Control List (ECL), a no-fly list. Investigations have revealed that several organized gangs are active in Pakistan, sending beggars to Gulf countries under the guise of Umrah and tourist visas. These people not only beg there but are also often found involved in criminal activities.

Students, workers and pilgrims are bearing the brunt of these actions of Pakistani citizens. Just last month, UAE had imposed an unannounced ban on issuing visas to Pakistani citizens, while Saudi Arabia has also warned that if this trend is not stopped, it could affect Pakistan's Haj and Umrah quota. Ordinary Pakistani citizens are also embarrassed to see Pakistanis begging at holy places like Mecca and Medina. Pilgrims who recently returned from Umrah expressed on social media that they felt 'ashamed of being Pakistani' after seeing the army of Pakistani beggars at holy places and markets.