Interior ministry enforces tougher passport rules to combat begging, illegal immigration

The Federal Interior Ministry has introduced stricter passport regulations as part of a broader crackdown on begging and illegal immigration. The new measures were finalised during a high-level meeting at the Directorate of Immigration and Passports, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The meeting, which included key officials such as State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja, and Passport DG Mustafa Jamal Qazi, focused on accelerating the implementation of the new rules. 

Minister Naqvi emphasised that the regulations were designed to act as a strong deterrent against begging syndicates and illegal migration attempts. 

He also underscored the importance of enforcing a blacklisting system for deported individuals to prevent them from obtaining future passports.

In a move to modernise passport services, Naqvi also inspected newly installed passport processing equipment, which includes six Machine Readable Passport (MRP) machines and two advanced e-passport systems, set up by a German technical team. The interior minister highlighted that these technological upgrades would significantly improve processing capacity and overall service delivery.

Additionally, Passport DG Qazi announced plans for the development of a mobile application aimed at streamlining citizen services, making it easier for the public to access passport-related services. 

The new measures reflect the government’s commitment to modernizing the passport system while addressing illegal activities and immigration issues.