2.75m Pakistanis moved abroad for employment in five years

Shiraz Hasnat

LAHORE: In the last five years, a staggering 2.75 million Pakistanis have left the country, seeking better job prospects overseas.

Recent government data indicates that during the initial six months of the current year, approximately 400,000 individuals emigrated to foreign lands for employment across 40 diverse sectors.

Predominantly, these migrants chose Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia being the preferred destination.

Educational migration expert, Mohsin Rafiq, who offers consultancy services to aspiring youth seeking overseas opportunities, said that nearly half of the migrating population lacked formal education.

Despite this, Rafiq argued against assuming that all the country’s talent has left for abroad, highlighting that the proportion of educated migrants was on par with the uneducated ones.

Rafiq attributed this equilibrium to the observation that government employees and those employed in the banking sector were less inclined to thrive abroad.

Consequently, the numbers of individuals leaving the country did not necessarily reflect the extent of the brain drain phenomenon, he said.

Nevertheless, Pakistani students assert that the scarcity of job opportunities commensurate with their qualifications compelled them to contemplate relocating abroad.

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Frustrations prevail due to the lack of facilities and limited prospects, leading many to seriously consider migration, they said.

Experts, however, said that Pakistani citizens going abroad will ultimately bring net benefits to the nation. As they gain experience and accumulate wealth, they were likely to invest and contribute positively to the country’s economy and development, they said.

As authorities seek to address the concerns of its educated youth and create an environment conducive to growth, the hope remains that the country will harness the potential of its skilled populace and thrive in the face of global opportunities.