Majority Of Beggars Arrested Abroad Are From Crisis-Hit Pakistan: Report

Reports say Pakistanis dominate pickpocketing inside holy sites, including Haram. Representative image

New Delhi:

In the midst of Pakistan’s ongoing economic crisis, a concerning news has emerged about human trafficking. Pak news outlet Dawn reported that the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was told that a growing number of beggars from Pakistan were moving abroad, which has spurred ‘human trafficking’. During a discussion within the Senate panel on the issue of skilled and unskilled labour migration from Pakistan, Overseas Ministry Secretary Zulfikar Haider disclosed this information, Dawn further said. 

The problem of “human trafficking” is getting worse, according to Mr Haider, since more beggars from Pakistan are traveling abroad. He disclosed that these beggars regularly exploit pilgrim visas to enter nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq. He further informed about the growing tendency of beggars flying to Japan from Pakistan on flights bound for overseas locations. 

Most of the pickpockets caught inside the holy sites like Haram are also Pakistanis, he further said. Beggars mostly go on Umrah visa, they do not get work visas, The Nation quoted the secretary as saying. He said that Japan had become a new destination for such visitors. 

He noted that Saudi Arabia now prefers skilled labourers over untrained workers. Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighted Japan’s demand for skilled workers from various countries, with India, Nepal, and Pakistan supplying differing numbers of individuals. He also drew attention to the approximately 50,000 unemployed engineers in Pakistan. 

Talking about the Middle East, Senator Hasan noted that there are around three million Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, 1.5 million in the UAE, and approximately 200,000 in Qatar. Mr Haider urged a collaboration is needed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related agencies to assist Pakistani engineers in finding employment opportunities in countries like Japan and China, given the prevailing severe economic crisis. 

Furthermore, he acknowledged the desperation among highly skilled professionals in Pakistan, who are currently willing to accept salaries as low as Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada echoed Senator Mahmood’s viewpoint, highlighting the extreme desperation of the Pakistani population, some of whom are even willing to pay significant sums for employment visas due to rampant inflation and recession.