Pakistani beggars take over Gulf streets; Saudi issues warning – Beggar | Saudi Gulf News | Global Manorama

From abroad to many Gulf countries during the pilgrimage season Beggars It is common to gain weight. Many live well in their home countries. However, this flow to the Gulf countries is focused on the huge amount of money received through begging. It is not uncommon for the mafia that transports and controls them during the pilgrimage to also make the news. This time, Saudi Arabia has come forward with a tough stance against beggars from Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia this week asked Pakistan to stop the misuse of Umrah visas by beggars to reach the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to beg. This trend of beggars misusing visas to beg abroad is a cause of concern for Pakistan and Pakistani visa applicants.

The concern is not misplaced. Pakistan’s Express Tribune reported Tuesday that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has warned that if the situation is not brought under control, it will have adverse consequences for Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. International media reports that the streets of Saudi Arabia are filled with Pakistani beggars.

Saudis see fake beggars as exploiters of pilgrims. It is not just Saudi Arabia, Pakistani beggars can be found in many Middle Eastern countries, including the UAE. Last September, the Minister of Overseas Pakistanis, Zeeshan Khanzada, said that 90 percent of beggars trapped in West Asian countries were from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Geo News quoted Urdu Khanzada as reporting last September that ambassadors in Iraq and Saudi Arabia had told them that Pakistani beggars travel abroad on Umrah visas under the name of Ziyarat (pilgrimage) and then go on the streets to beg.

∙ Mafia network behind export of beggars
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi revealed that this is not the work of one person and that the mafia is behind it. Naqvi said in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al Malki that strict action will be taken against the mafia who send beggars to Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan has tasked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to dismantle this network of beggars abroad. An FIA official told Dawn that immigration officials at Pakistani international airports are more vigilant about passengers who regularly travel to the Middle East for short periods.

An FIA official said that if there is any doubt, passengers will be taken off the plane. A month ago, the FIA ​​dropped 11 beggars from Karachi airport on a flight to Saudi Arabia.

∙ Pakistani Beggars and the Visa Crisis
Beggars are now a major problem, not only for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia or people from other Middle Eastern countries, but also for Pakistanis. This is happening amid an economic crisis in Pakistan and a record number of people seeking legal work abroad.

“Legitimate travelers, students and workers who apply for a valid visa are subject to additional checks at foreign embassies and are regularly denied visas,” Rafia Zakaria writes in Dawn.

Zakaria says millions of Pakistanis who can’t even think of begging abroad are stuck at home with their passports because of a few criminals. Pakistan also wants Middle Eastern and Gulf countries to tighten visa controls to stop importing Pakistani beggars.

“Instead of forcing Pakistani authorities to stop beggars, criminals and illegal immigrants, these countries should take a closer look at their visa processing system,” a senior FIA official told Dawn.

In July, Geo News reported how employers in the Gulf States were preferring to hire workers from other countries in the region, such as Bangladesh, rather than Pakistan, citing the “deplorable quality of Pakistani labour”.

The general picture of Pakistanis abroad is not encouraging for job seekers from Pakistan. Not only are countries like Saudi Arabia exporting beggars, but Pakistanis seeking opportunities abroad legally are facing a major setback as they are faced with increasing visa checks and refusals.