Why are Pakistan flight attendants vanishing in Canada?

Pakistan International Airlines yet again made headlines recently when a member of its flight cabin crew vanished soon after she landed in Canada. Now, a similar case is coming forward once again when a flight attendant slipped away from a Pakistani flight when it landed in Toronto.

On Thursday, February 29, a PIA flight steward Jibran Baloch closed his shift on the PIA flight PK-792, but did not board the return flight to Pakistan from Toronto, failing to report for duty.

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The PIA staff present in Toronto did a sweep of his hotel room, when it was revealed that Baloch had indeed slipped away and vanished in Canada, making this the second such incident in the span of a week.

Before this, a PIA flight air hostess named Maryam Raza disappeared in a similar fashion. Last week on Tuesday, Maryam didn't board her return flight to Karachi. When her colleagues looked for her, all they found at the hotel was her flight attendant uniform and a piece of paper which reads, “thank you PIA.”

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Reason behind sudden PIA crew disappearances

The main reason why Pakistan's cabin crew members are slipping away and disappearing in Canada to get a citizenship in the country and seek refuge as Pakistan continues to grapple with constant disturbances and economic crisis.

According to the official website of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the UN refugee agency, said, “You can ask for asylum when you arrive in Canada at the airport.”

It further added, “If you are fleeing your country because you fear persecution or risk to your life, you can apply for asylum in Canada. If you are granted asylum, you will receive refugee status and the right to stay. To apply for asylum, you must be physically present in Canada or be seeking entry into the country at a point of entry (airport, land border, or seaport).”

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PIA has jumped up to stop such incidents from happening again, and is asking its staff to submit their passport with the airline at the time of international flights. However, this new rule has failed to make any significant results.

Such incidents are not uncommon in Pakistan. In 2022, four members of the PIA cabin crew vanished and slipped away from their flight after seeking asylum in Canada.

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