Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has put new rules in place for first-time travelers, especially those around 35 years old, from areas like Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, and Jhelum. These rules affect travel to certain countries, including Saudi Arabia, even for religious trips like Umrah.
The FIA is carefully checking passengers going to 15 countries—including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkiye, and more. They want to make sure that travelers have a clear reason for their trip, confirmed hotel bookings, and enough money to support themselves.
This decision comes after some tragic boat accidents involving people from Pakistan who were traveling under the pretence of going to Umrah. Many of those involved were aged between 15 and 40 and came from various towns, including Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat.
Airport immigration officials are checking travelers’ documents and asking questions to make sure they really plan to travel for the right reasons. A recent look at travel records showed that many people were misusing visit, tourist, and student visas to try to sneak into Europe. The FIA flagged these 15 countries as common paths for people trying to enter illegally.
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