THE recurring issue of passengers being offloaded at Pakistani airports has become a matter of serious public concern. Whilethe Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has a legitimate responsibility to prevent human smuggling, illegal migration and document fraud, the present system often creates uncertainty and ñnanciallosses for genuine travellers.
According to FIA, 39,786 passengers were offloaded in 2025 under a rislebased immigration screening system to combat human smuggling. A standing committee of the National Assembly was also informed that around 51,000 passengers had failed immigration checl(s during the year, highlighting the scale of the issue.
Instead of carrying out the final scrutiny only at the airport, the government should establish FIA pre-departure immigration clearance offices in major cities. Travellers should be able to visit these offices two to seven days before theirscheduled departure to have their travel documents, visas, financial evidence, employment or admission documents, and travel purpose verified. Once cleared, they should receive an official clearance certificate or digital approval, allowing them to proceed through airport immigration with minimal delay.
This proposal is neither expensive nor unprecedented. Pakistan already follows a similar model through the Protector registration for overseas worl(ers before their departure. Extending the same principle to general international travellers would mal(e the process more predictable and transparent.
Such a system would reduce last-minute offloading, save passengers from losing expensive airtickets and hotelbookings, cut down congestion at airport immigration counters, and allow FIA officials to conduct more thorough document verification in a calmer environment. Most importantly, it would strengthen public confidence while preserving FIA’s efforts against human trafficking and any irregular migration.The FIA has pre-departure facilitation desks at some of its zonal offices to guide passengers before their actualtravel.
Expanding these into a nationwide preclearance system is the logical next step.
Dr Haroon Bakari Jamshoro