Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced that passports of deported Pakistanis returning from abroad will be cancelled, and their names will be placed on the passport control list for five years, according to state-run PTV.

In a high-level meeting held in Islamabad, chaired by the interior minister, it was also decided that First Information Reports (FIRs) would be registered against deportees as part of a crackdown on individuals causing international embarrassment to Pakistan.

The decision comes in the wake of 5,033 Pakistani beggars deported from Saudi Arabia and 369 others from five additional countries over the past 16 months. Furthermore, 106 Pakistanis deported from European countries recently arrived in Islamabad.

The government is now working to tighten passport laws through a newly formed committee led by the interior secretary. Naqvi emphasized that organized criminal groups are exploiting Pakistanis by sending them abroad for begging, and the government is committed to taking strict action against those involved.

Last month, the minister had already warned that deported individuals would face passport blocking and a stricter process for obtaining new travel documents. Authorities say no concessions will be made moving forward.