Italian embassy warns Pakistani study visa applicants over surge in 'dubious documents'

The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad warned study visa applicants against submitting forged or dubious documents, saying it had noticed an “unprecedented surge” in questionable paperwork attached to visa applications.

“The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has noticed an unprecedented surge in dubious or forged documents attached to study visa applications. Study visa aspirants are advised to strictly avoid presenting forged documents, particularly those related to means of subsistence,” the embassy said in a post on X.

It further warned that submitting such documents could not only lead to the immediate rejection of the current visa application but may also negatively affect any future applications.

Read: Student visas fuel asylum in UK

On June 6, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott had cautioned against agents deceiving asylum seekers with false assurances of United Kingdom settlement and financial gain, stressing that genuine applicants must submit their applications only through official online systems. She said agents often exploited vulnerable individuals by offering deceptive assurances of asylum and settlement opportunities in exchange for money. She also expressed concern over the rising number of Pakistani nationals applying for political asylum in the UK, noting that nationals currently feature among the top nationalities in such applications.

Four days later, during a meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Interior, held under the chairmanship of NA Member Raja Khurram Nawaz, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Dr Usman Anwar said several countries, including those in the European Union, had raised the issue of illegal immigration with Islamabad.

In the same meeting, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry highlighted that illegal immigration from Pakistan had decreased by 47%, a decline he said was confirmed by both Europe and the United States. He said the government was placing further checks to ensure that identities are not stolen to curb illegal immigration.