Islamabad:Nine Pakistani nationals have been deported from Poland after their attempt to enter the European Union via Belarus ended in formal return proceedings.
According to the Polish Border Guard, the men were flown out of Kraków-Balice airport on June 29 aboard a military transport aircraft. All nine had received enforceable return orders after being found without valid residence documents and for crossing the Poland-Belarus border illegally.
The deportees have been identified as Atif Shah, Manzar Khan, Salman Ali, Muhammad Wasim Khan, Mehmood Shah, Atif Ullah, Taimoor Ashraf, Ashfaq Khan and Asif Khan.Speaking after his return, Asif Khan of Mohmand, now living in Shabqadar, said the failed attempt placed his family under severe financial and emotional pressure. A father of three, he said he undertook the journey to improve his family’s prospects, but returned having lost the money invested in the trip.
Ashfaq Khan of Mardan said the route had been presented as a “manageable passage” into Europe. Instead, he faced strict border controls, uncertainty and the constant fear of detention. “The financial burden is not carried by the traveler alone. Parents and siblings also contribute their savings,” he said.
Taimoor Ashraf of Malakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, described the experience as financially damaging and emotionally exhausting. He urged Pakistanis not to trust agents who portray Belarus as an easy gateway to the EU, warning that promises often omit the risks of arrest, detention and deportation.
The Polish statement did not name agents or disclose payments. The FIA says it is using intelligence-led screening to curb human smuggling, and that irregular migration from Pakistan to Europe declined in 2025 and early 2026. The latest case, however, shows that such networks continue to lure young Pakistanis into costly and uncertain journeys.
