Pakistan has expanded the overseas network of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to eight countries. The move aims to improve coordination with foreign authorities.
The expanded network will focus on immigration matters and cross-border criminal activities. These include human smuggling, human trafficking, and immigration-related fraud.
FIA immigration link offices are now working at Pakistani missions in eight countries. These countries include Oman, Iran, Greece, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the UAE.
The officers work directly with foreign immigration and border control authorities. They also coordinate with law enforcement agencies in their respective countries.
Their responsibilities include verifying the nationality of Pakistani citizens. They also examine cases involving suspected fake or fraudulent documents.
The officers can also help arrange emergency travel documents for Pakistani nationals. They provide support in cases involving the repatriation of Pakistani citizens.
The overseas network also assists Pakistanis detained by foreign authorities. FIA officers coordinate with relevant agencies to address immigration-related cases.
The FIA office in the United Kingdom was established in December 2025. Since then, it has handled more than 150 nationality verification cases.
The UK office has also dealt with more than 124 documentation-related cases. These cases include matters linked to immigration documentation and verification.
In Italy, FIA officers have handled thousands of immigration-related cases. They have also identified suspected human-smuggling agents during their work.
Officials in Italy have further dealt with cases involving allegedly forged documents. Such efforts are aimed at strengthening checks on illegal migration activities.
Iran has also seen extensive FIA activity involving Pakistani nationals. More than 34,000 Pakistanis were safely repatriated from Iran between 2024 and August 2026.
The agency also assisted in evacuating more than 15,700 Pakistanis. The evacuations took place during the Iran-Israel conflict.
In Greece, FIA officials are coordinating with local authorities. Their work includes addressing irregular migration routes and repatriating Pakistani nationals.
The agency is also using its offices in Oman, Spain, Turkey, and the UAE. These offices support immigration checks and action against trafficking networks.
The government is considering further expanding the overseas network. Saudi Arabia and Poland are among the countries being considered.
The overseas FIA offices have a separate role from Community Welfare Attachés. Welfare officers mainly handle employment and welfare-related matters.
FIA officials, meanwhile, focus on immigration verification and related investigations. Their responsibilities also include fraud, trafficking, smuggling, and repatriation.
The expanded network is intended to improve coordination between Pakistani and foreign authorities. It also provides a dedicated mechanism for handling immigration-related cases overseas.
Through these offices, the FIA can work more closely with foreign agencies. The network is expected to support efforts against illegal migration and related crimes.
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The government may further expand the system based on operational needs. Any additional offices would strengthen Pakistan’s overseas immigration coordination.
