IN Exclusive
The situation surrounding Pakistani-origin men involved in ‘grooming gangs’ across the United Kingdom, who exploit underage girls through intricate sexploitation networks, continues to evolve. Recent media reports indicate that within the initial ten days of 2025, numerous Pakistani nationals have been deported from various countries, particularly those within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), due to their participation in criminal activities such as professional begging. This recurring issue once again draws attention to the conduct and behaviour of Pakistani expatriates abroad, a topic that has been scrutinised for decades and continues to tarnish Pakistan’s global image.
On January 10, 2025, a press release from Pakistan’s Immigration Department revealed that over 258 Pakistani nationals were repatriated from seven countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), due to violations such as visa overstays, illegal employment, and various criminal activities including drug trafficking and begging. Specifically, Saudi Arabia accounted for the majority of these deportations with 232 cases, while the UAE contributed 21. This trend underscores the persistent issue of deportations involving Pakistani nationals from these nations on a daily basis, highlighting the broader problem of misconduct among Pakistani expatriates across the Middle East, Europe, and America.
Individuals travelling abroad, whether as expatriates, students, or tourists, inherently act as cultural representatives of their nations. Their conduct is often viewed as a reflection of their socio-cultural values, with any misconduct potentially casting a negative shadow on their home countries. For many nations, expatriate communities are regarded as valuable assets; they serve as cultural ambassadors, contribute significantly to remittance flows, and evoke national pride. A 2017 article in The Economist titled “What expatriates bring” posits that expatriates enrich the local talent pool with their “unique set of skills,” make “positive contributions to host economies,” and enhance the cultural landscapes of the host countries. This cultural diversity is a crucial element in fostering positive transformations within the host society.
In Pakistan’s context, its expatriate community seems to serve as a recurring source of international embarrassment, primarily due to their ongoing involvement in criminal activities within host societies across various nations. A considerable proportion of Pakistani nationals appear to lack the ‘unique skills’ that typically characterise and enhance expatriate communities, which are essential for fulfilling transformative roles in host countries. This trend is substantiated by numerous reports from countries that have documented the extent of Pakistani nationals’ engagement in criminal activities. For example, the Senate Committee report from July 2024 on Overseas Pakistanis indicated that several Gulf nations expressed dissatisfaction regarding the unskilled nature of Pakistan’s expatriate workforce. Saudi Arabia even urged Pakistani authorities to refrain from sending “beggars and sick individuals” instead of skilled workers aligned with the Gulf labour market’s requirements.
Amidst various criminal activities that have attracted attention to Pakistani nationals, particularly in the Gulf Arab states, ‘professional begging’ has emerged as a significant concern for these affluent nations. This issue is particularly acute in Saudi Arabia, which hosts two of Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina. Estimates indicate that approximately 50,000 Pakistani professional beggars operate within these sacred cities, frequently disguising themselves as religious pilgrims. In response, Saudi authorities enacted stringent anti-begging legislation in 2021. According to the Senate Standing Committee Report from September 2023, over 44,000 professional beggars were repatriated from Gulf countries between 2021 and 2023. The report further noted that “90% of all arrested beggars were found to be Pakistani nationals,” highlighting the severity of the problem. Additionally, Pakistanis constitute a majority among pickpockets apprehended around the Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia and are implicated in over 50% of crimes reported across the United Arab Emirates.
Despite these concerning statistics and increasing diplomatic pressure from Gulf nations, the Pakistani government’s initiatives to prevent the migration of potential beggars, such as suspending passports and implementing pre-emptive identification measures, have proven inadequate. Many individuals manage to bypass these restrictions by taking advantage of religious pilgrimage opportunities, such as Umrah and Hajj, to gain entry into Saudi Arabia.
The widespread presence of Pakistani professional beggars throughout the Gulf region serves as a microcosm of the broader behaviour exhibited by the Pakistani state, which has historically relied on soliciting financial assistance, specifically zakat (Islamic alms), from these very nations to support its precarious economy. This parallel highlights the irony of the conduct of Pakistani nationals abroad reflecting the dependency-oriented approach of their government. Furthermore, it underscores the underlying economic deprivation and systemic deficiencies within Pakistan that hinder its citizens from acquiring the necessary skills to integrate into global job markets.
However, what is particularly humiliating for Pakistan is the explicit warnings issued by foreign governments, not only concerning the influx of beggars but also regarding the fundamental conduct of Pakistanis employed in these nations. For instance, in mid-2024, Pakistani officials revealed that GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, expressed serious concerns about the ongoing inappropriate public behaviour exhibited by Pakistani nationals. Authorities in the UAE noted that a significant number of Pakistani men were involved in activities such as filming women in urban centres like Dubai, further damaging Pakistan’s international standing.
These instances highlight the complex challenges that have consistently affected Pakistani expatriate communities across various regions, including Europe, North America, and the Gulf. From the emergence of grooming gangs in Britain and other parts of Europe to the rise of professional beggars disrupting the socio-economic fabric of affluent Gulf states, and even the unflattering narrative surrounding illicit “donkey exports” to China, Pakistan’s contributions to the globalised world have, unfortunately, been overshadowed by disgrace. Such behavioural patterns not only reinforce entrenched stereotypes about Pakistanis but also intensify the country’s struggle to establish a respectable and constructive identity on the international stage. As Pakistan’s global image continues to decline, if it ever held any significant standing in recent decades due to its export of terrorism, the nation faces a critical juncture in its history to redefine itself.