LAHORE MIRROR – In the first eight months of 2023, Pakistan experienced a significant emigration phenomenon, with more than 540,000 Pakistanis leaving the country in search of better employment opportunities overseas.
Official data obtained from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment reveals that precisely 540,282 Pakistani nationals registered for overseas employment during the initial eight months of the current calendar year, up until August.
By the end of July, the number of Pakistanis who had embarked on this journey had reached 450,110. This indicates that in August alone, a staggering 90,172 Pakistani citizens departed their homeland, driven by the aspiration of securing employment abroad.
A closer look at the statistics reveals that within this migration, 232,749 were categorized as laborers, while an additional 118,172 assumed roles as drivers. The departing workforce also included 5,589 engineers, 5,216 accountants, 2,261 doctors, and 1,012 teachers.
In terms of occupational groups, the Bureau’s data highlights that out of the emigrants, 15,052 held high qualifications, 31,130 were highly skilled, 197,719 possessed general skills, and 57,516 fell into the semi-skilled category. A substantial majority, numbering 238,865 individuals, were unskilled laborers.
Geographically, the majority of these overseas-bound workers, totaling 251,655, chose Saudi Arabia as their destination, followed by 147,960 heading to the United Arab Emirates, 39,901 opting for Oman, and 39,479 selecting Qatar. Other notable destinations included Malaysia (17,647), Bahrain (8,518), Romania (4,175), Greece (2,623), and Iraq (2,373).
It’s important to note that the data provided by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment specifically pertains to individuals who have formally registered with the Bureau. Those who relocate abroad for educational purposes or through alternative immigration channels are not included in this dataset.
In the previous year, a record-breaking 832,339 Pakistanis ventured abroad in pursuit of employment opportunities, marking the highest figure recorded since 2016.
