Illegal Pakistani migrants disguised as soccer players sent to Japan.

Pakistani human smugglers appear to be using fake football teams to smuggle migrants to Japan, a new method that was brought to light following the recent deportation of a “team” that had arrived in Osaka. In June, a group of 22 people from Pakistan who tried to enter Japan were caught at Kansai Airport and deported after failing to prove they were actually members of a soccer team.

Pakistani authorities on September 15 arrested the alleged mastermind of the scheme, making it the first known case of organized illegal migration from Pakistan to Japan. “The Japanese authorities timely discovered the illegal migration attempt from Pakistan through a fake football club; otherwise, this would have opened up a permanent new route for human smugglers“, a well-placed government official familiar with developments related to migration told Media.

Pakistani officials told local media that human smugglers received $15,000 from each migrant. Forged documents from the Pakistan Football Federation were used to secure visas for migrants through the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad. “Japan has become a new destination for illegal migration from Pakistan because of the demand for human resources there“, said Tahir Naeem Malik, a professor at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad.

This is the first reported case in which smugglers have used a fake football club to facilitate the illegal entry of migrants from Pakistan into another country. However, this might not have been the first time this scheme has been deployed. In January 2024, 17 Pakistanis posing as football players entered Japan, and have since never returned, according to a government official. Experts noted that human smugglers are becoming more creative as European routes grow increasingly difficult.

Majid Nizami, a political analyst based in Lahore, said these fake football clubs indicate how human smuggling from Pakistan is now being carried out using sophisticated and modern techniques. “Previously, we saw examples of irregular sea routes, which were exposed and busted. People travelled abroad as part of airline crews and then disappeared once they reached another country“.

Syed Kausar Abbas, executive director of the Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO), said that migrants agree to take different routes suggested by smugglers due to their ignorance. “Migrants think that even if they leave Pakistan illegally, they will somehow secure a safe future in a foreign country“, he told Reporters.

A 2024 report by the National Commission for Human Rights states that in 2023 alone, over 6,000 Pakistanis undertook illegal journeys to reach Europe. The report asserted that Pakistan is not just a country of origin for illegal migration, but also a point of transit. “People from multiple neighbouring countries come to Pakistan and then take part in the human smuggling routes from here“. The 2024 report states that the primary impetus behind this surge in illegal migration continues to be economic, as individuals aspire to find opportunities unavailable in Pakistan. That situation is clear in the personal remittance inflow statistics; Pakistan’s remittance inflow in 2024 was 9.4% of the country’s gross domestic product, which is not only higher than India’s 3.5% but also significantly up from the 6% level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tahir Naeem Malik reiterated that in some districts of Pakistan there is also a culture of migration. “Poverty indeed exists, the economy is not performing well, and jobs are not being created. But if you look closely, migration is not highest in the poorest districts. Rather, in Punjab’s GT Road belt, in districts like Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin, migration has become part of the culture“.

In June 2023, a fishing boat carrying migrants capsized 80 kilometres off the southern coast of Greece. At least 200 Pakistanis on board died. After this incident, the Pakistani government started to crack down on human smuggling. Experts note that migration enforcement has become stricter, but that human smugglers are still sending people abroad using fresh means.

SSDO’s Abbas said the government has set up a task force to curb irregular migration. “Despite this, human smuggling remains an organized crime backed by a strong mafia, which warrants collective action from all law enforcement agencies”.

Nizami said government crackdowns only happen reactively, usually when there is a report of some tragedy at sea. “Before or after such incidents, there is rarely consistent scrutiny or a sustained crackdown“. The anonymous government official said that international cooperation to verify documents and intent for travel is a must for curbing illegal migration, noting, “There is no quick remedy for this problem”.

Team Maverick