Struggling for survival at home, over 172,000 Pakistanis leave for overseas employment

IANS April 15, 2025 241 views

Pakistan faces an unprecedented wave of economic migration with over 172,000 citizens seeking employment abroad in early 2025. The surge reflects critical challenges including high unemployment, runaway inflation, and limited domestic economic opportunities. Workers span multiple skill levels, from general laborers to professionals like doctors and engineers. This mass exodus highlights the severe economic strain confronting Pakistan's workforce and signals deepening national economic distress.

"Economic uncertainty forced massive exodus" - Bureau of Immigration Report
Islamabad, April 15: At least 172,144 Pakistanis ventured for overseas opportunities during the first quarter of 2025 amid prevailing uncertainty, constant job losses, towering inflation, lack of employment opportunities and no hopes of better days in Pakistan.

Key Points

1

Massive job migration reflects Pakistan's deepening economic instability

2

Saudi Arabia tops destination with 121,190 job seekers

3

Professionals and laborers seek international employment opportunities

The Bureau of Immigration in Pakistan released the alarming figures on Tuesday about people who have sought employment opportunities abroad during the first three months of 2025.

As per details, the majority of the applicants have selected Saudi Arabia as their top desired destination for work with the highest number of job seekers at 121,190. Oman is the second with 8,331 Pakistanis seeking employment while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is third in the list with 6,891 employment seekers.

The list also includes Qatar as a popular choice with 12,989 and Bahrain with at least 939 Pakistani employment seekers. Moreover, applications have also been received for United Kingdom (1,454), Turkey (870), Greece (815), Malaysia (775), China (592), Azerbaijan (350), Germany (264), US (257), Italy (109) and Japan (108).

More details revealed that the majority of the employment seekers were categorised as general labourers with at least 38,274 drivers, 1,859 masons, 2,130 electricians, 1,689 cooks, 3,474 technicians, and at least 1,058 welders.

The emigration of professionals from Pakistan has also been recorded in significant numbers. As per statistics, professionals seeking employment overseas include 849 doctors, 1,479 engineers, 390 nurses and at least 436 teachers who have secured jobs in different foreign countries in 2025, so far.

Interestingly, the statistics from 2023 and 2024 also show a surge in asylum applications by Pakistanis. Data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) showed that at least 28,000 Pakistanis applied for asylum in the EU between October 2023 and October 2024.

While these statistics are of those who apply through legitimate routes and processes, a large number of people also opt for illegal means of human trafficking and human smuggling channels to reach western and European countries.

Reader Comments

A
Ahmed K.
This is heartbreaking but not surprising. When there are no opportunities at home, people have no choice but to leave. My cousin just moved to Saudi last month as a driver - he was an accountant here but couldn't find work. 😔
S
Sadia R.
The brain drain is real! Nearly 850 doctors leaving? We need serious reforms to retain our skilled professionals. Education and healthcare sectors are suffering the most from this exodus.
M
Muneeb H.
While I understand people's desperation, I wish the article had explored what the government is doing (if anything) to create more domestic employment opportunities. The numbers are shocking but we need solutions, not just statistics.
F
Fatima Z.
My husband is among those numbers - working in Qatar as a technician. The separation is hard but remittances keep our family afloat. Praying for better days back home 🤲
T
Tariq J.
Respectfully, the article focuses too much on numbers and not enough on human stories. Each of these 172,000 people has dreams, families, and struggles. Would love to see follow-up interviews with some of these workers about their experiences.
N
Nadia S.
The illegal migration part worries me most. People are risking their lives because legal options are limited. We need better bilateral agreements with destination countries for safe, regulated labor migration.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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Tags:
Pakistan Migration Economic Crisis Overseas Employment Saudi Arabia Job Seekers Labor Migration
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