Islamabad:Pakistani nationals have consistently ranked among the top seven nationalities apprehended for attempting illegal crossings along the Poland–Belarus border, underscoring a persistent and perilous trend of irregular migration towards Europe, according to official data and border security reports.
Recent figures place Pakistanis alongside migrants from Afghanistan, Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia among those most frequently intercepted while trying to enter the European Union through the heavily guarded eastern frontier. Sources in Pakistan’s premier investigative agency, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), told this correspondent that as of January 12, 2025, at least 58 Pakistani citizens were being held after being caught attempting to cross the Poland–Belarus border illegally. They are currently detained in centres guarded by the Polish Border Guard.
Officials said the numbers fluctuate, but Pakistan’s repeated appearance near the top of the list reflects sustained migration pressure driven by unemployment, economic uncertainty and the lack of accessible legal pathways to Europe.
Investigators have linked the recent surge partly to last year’s Pakistan–Belarus agreement, under which Belarus was expected to issue visas to up to 150,000 Pakistani skilled workers. Although the programme never materialised, FIA officials said human traffickers and unscrupulous travel agents exploited the announcement, enticing desperate individuals and families with promises of employment and residency in Europe in return for large sums of money. Many victims, they added, later found themselves stranded in Belarus or forced towards dangerous and illegal border crossings.
The human toll of such journeys has been heavy. Over the past decade, dozens of Pakistani migrants have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe through irregular routes. In 2019, several Pakistanis were among migrants who froze to death in forests along Eastern European borders. In June 2023, the country mourned young men who drowned off the coast of Greece when an overcrowded migrant boat capsized, triggering nationwide outrage. Earlier cases also include Pakistanis suffocating in sealed containers and trucks in Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe, highlighting the extreme risks involved.
A particularly serious incident was reported on December 11, 2025, when Polish authorities intercepted a large group of migrants attempting to enter Poland through a tunnel dug beneath a technical border barrier. Border Guard reports identified 186 migrants, including 37 Pakistani citizens, making Pakistan the second most represented nationality after Afghanistan. The tunnel, measuring around 50 metres on the Belarusian side and 10 metres on the Polish side, indicated a high level of planning and coordination. Polish authorities have said such an operation could not have been carried out without the knowledge or involvement of Belarusian security services.
Officials stressed that the December episode was not an isolated case. Since September 2025, several tunnels and signs of underground construction have been detected along the border, pointing to an organised and systematic facilitation of illegal migration rather than sporadic attempts by individuals.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian embassy in Pakistan has reportedly stopped entertaining visa applications, and prospects of reviving the promised skilled-worker programme appear remote. FIA sources said several Pakistani nationals from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Islamabad have already been deported from Germany, Georgia and other countries following detention and prolonged investigations.
Although Poland reopened key border crossings in November 2025 to facilitate legal travel and trade, authorities maintain that illegal crossings will not be tolerated. The repeated involvement of Pakistani nationals has renewed calls for stronger public awareness campaigns at home, tougher action against human traffickers and closer international cooperation to address the root causes of irregular migration before more lives are lost.
