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Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Illegal attempts to cross Belarus-Poland border: Pakistanis among top eight nationalities involved
ISLAMABAD: Amid ongoing confusion surrounding the Pakistan-Belarus jobs agreement, new data from Eastern Europe paints a worrying picture. Between January 1 and June 22 this year, nearly 14,000 illegal border-crossing attempts were recorded at the Belarus-Poland border, with Pakistani nationals among the top eight nationalities involved. These developments come in stark contrast to the optimism generated during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official visit to Belarus in April, where a bilateral agreement was signed, promising over 150,000 employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani workers in various sectors, including IT, healthcare, construction, and engineering. However, nearly two months later, the agreement remains largely unimplemented, revealed an official on Friday. The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) has not issued formal guidelines nor initiated any coordination with Belarusian authorities or certified recruiting agencies. No feasibility report or cost-benefit analysis has been made public to evaluate the viability, risks, or logistical aspects of deploying such a large workforce abroad, the official added. Meanwhile, the absence of structured legal pathways for employment abroad may be pushing desperate individuals to seek dangerous alternatives. Polish authorities have already detained over 150 people this year for assisting illegal border crossings, highlighting growing regional security and human trafficking concerns. While the offer of overseas employment has generated significant interest, economic experts warn that the agreement might be overly ambitious, given Belarus's struggling economy. Still reeling from international sanctions, Belarus has experienced stagnant growth and persistent inflation. The country's average monthly salary stands at around $670–$700, significantly higher than Pakistan's average of roughly $150–$170. Moreover, Belarus's minimum wage is approximately $200, while Pakistan's current minimum wage ranges between PKR 32,000 and 37,000 (roughly $110–$125). In this context, the proposed minimum salary of $1,100 for Pakistani workers seems disproportionately high and raises serious questions about the Belarusian job market's ability to accommodate and sustain such a large influx of foreign workers under those terms. Despite the scale and fanfare of the announcement, the official highlighted the Pakistani government has not released any feasibility study or cost-benefit analysis. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Khaleej Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE jobs: Pakistan forms team to verify documents of citizens seeking work abroad
Pakistan has established a joint committee comprising members of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) to verify the documents and credentials of citizens seeking employment abroad, including in the UAE. The initiative aims to ensure that only eligible and law-abiding individuals are sent overseas, following concerns over the deportation of several South Asian nationals for involvement in begging and other illegal activities. "BE&OE, in collaboration with FIA, has formed an operational-level committee to strengthen coordination and verify emigrants' credentials, aiming to eliminate illegal migration," stated the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25, released on Monday. In response to increasing cases of deportation due to unlawful behaviour, the Pakistani government has intensified its scrutiny of immigrants. Authorities are now cancelling the passports of deportees, adding their names to a passport control list, and lodging First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals repatriated for illegal activities such as begging. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. According to official data from the Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25, more than 64,100 Pakistani citizens secured jobs in the UAE over the past year, making it the third-largest destination for Pakistani workers after Saudi Arabia and Oman. A total of 727,381 Pakistanis registered for overseas employment in 2024. Of these, 62 per cent (452,560) went to Saudi Arabia, followed by Oman with 11 per cent. The UAE absorbed 64,130 workers (9 per cent), while Qatar offered employment to 40,818 individuals (6 per cent). Bahrain and Malaysia hired 25,198 (3 per cent) and 5,790 (1 per cent) Pakistani workers, respectively. The UAE remains a key destination for Pakistani expatriates and is home to over 1.7 million Pakistanis—second only to Saudi Arabia in terms of South Asian diaspora population. In total, more than 5.5 million Pakistanis live and work across the Gulf region, while approximately 10.3 million are employed globally. Remittances To further enhance overseas employment opportunities, the Pakistani government issued 65 new licences to Overseas Employment Promoters in 2024, bringing the total number of active licenses to 2,264. Pakistani workers abroad play a vital role in the country's economy, contributing significantly to foreign exchange reserves. Remittances reached a record high of $4.1 billion in March 2025. During the July–April period of the 2025 fiscal year, remittances rose 31 per cent year-on-year to $31.2 billion, up from $23.9 billion. This growth is attributed to government and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)-led structural reforms. The immigrant workforce in 2024 was predominantly made up of unskilled and semi-skilled labour, with a relatively low proportion of highly skilled professionals. According to the Economic Survey, 50 per cent (366,092) of immigrants were classified as unskilled, while 35 per cent (255,706) were skilled workers. Despite a slight decline compared to 2023, global demand for unskilled labour remains strong, particularly in the construction, domestic service, and agricultural sectors.
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Rs10mn yearly income: govt proposes to reduce surcharge by 1% to halt ‘brain drain'
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in his Budget 2025-26 speech proposed 1% reduction in the surcharge on those individuals whose income exceed Rs10 million a year, in an effort to halt 'brain drain' among skilled and unskilled workers. The current surcharge is 10% which the government announced to reduce to 9%, recognising the harm to the economy of workers leaving Pakistan. The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment in 2024, according to The Economic Survey 2024-25 as unveiled by Aurangzeb on Monday. According to BE&OE, more than 62 percent (452,562) of Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman (11 percent), to earn a living. UAE employed 64,130 Pakistani workers (9 percent) while Qatar offered jobs to 40,818 individuals (6 percent). Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25,198 workers (3 percent) and 5,790 workers (1 percent), respectively. In 2024, the highest number of workers who moved away from Pakistan for work originated from Punjab (404,345), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424), and Tribal areas (29,937). Brain drain is a growing concern for developing countries like Pakistan, as talent from less developed countries is drawn to developed nations due to higher salaries, access to cutting-edge technology, better living standards and more stable political environments.
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Brain drain: Pakistan lost 727,381 workers to overseas employment in 2024
The Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment, according to The Economic Survey 2024-25 as unveiled by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday. According to BE&OE, more than 62 percent (452,562) of Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman (11 percent), to earn a living. UAE employed 64,130 Pakistani workers (9 percent) while Qatar offered jobs to 40,818 individuals (6 percent). Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25,198 workers (3 percent) and 5,790 workers (1 percent), respectively. In 2024, the highest number of workers who moved away from Pakistan for work originated from Punjab (404,345), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424), and Tribal areas (29,937). The Economic Survey also failed to calculate the unemployment rate for the current year. Pakistan missed its GDP growth target of 3.6% in the outgoing fiscal year, posting a figure of 2.7%, revealed the Economic Survey 2024-25. The skill composition of Pakistani emigrants in 2024 continues to be dominated by unskilled and semi-skilled labour, with relatively low representation from mid to highly-skilled professionals. According to the data, 50 percent of emigrants are categorized as unskilled (366,092), while 35 percent (255,706) are skilled workers. Although there has been a slight decline compared to 2023, unskilled labour remains in high demand globally, particularly in the areas of construction, domestic work, and agriculture. Earlier this year, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir stated that the country's global diaspora constitutes not 'brain drain' but rather a crucial 'brain gain', according to a statement from the military's media release. While addressing a convention, the army chief said that those peddling the 'brain drain' myth should know this is actually brain gain, adding that the overseas community exemplifies this brilliantly. Brain drain in Pakistan: causes, consequences and way forward The total population of Pakistan according to Seventh Population and Housing Census (2023) has reached 241.5 million; growing at 2.55 percent annually. The population comprises 124.32 million (51.5%) males and 117.15 million (48.5) females. A significant share of Pakistan's population is young, with 26% aged 15-29 years, while 53.8% fall within the working-age group of 15-59 years. This demographic dividend presents a unique opportunity for economic expansion and development. Brain drain is a growing concern for developing countries like Pakistan, as these countries invest heavily in the education and training of their youth.
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan Economic Survey fails to calculate unemployment rate for current year
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Survey 2024-25 failed to calculate the unemployment rate for the current year and instead cited the rate prevalent four years ago in 2020-21: 6.3 percent from Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2020-21. The reason noted in the report is that the LFS for 2022-23 could not be undertaken due to the engagement of PBS with the 7th Population & Housing Census. However, work on LFS 2024-25 is under process. The LFS survey reveals that in 2020-21 youth (aged 15-24) had the highest unemployment rate of 11.1 percent, with 10.0 percent for males and 14.4 percent for females. The second highest unemployment rate was seen amongst 25-34 year olds, with a rate of 7.3 percent. PBS conducts first digital census: Around 7.8pc of total population unemployed Among this group, 5.4 percent of males and 13.3 percent of females were unemployed leading to the conclusion that unemployment is more prevalent among females, especially those between 15 and 24 years of age. The survey mentioned that during 2024, the BE&OE and the OEC registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment. According to BE&OE, more than 62 percent (452,562) of Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman (11 percent), to earn a living. UAE employed 64,130 Pakistani workers (9 percent) while Qatar offered jobs to 40,818 individuals (6 percent). Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25,198 workers (3 percent) and 5,790 workers (1 percent), respectively. In 2024, the highest number of workers who went abroad for employment was from Punjab (404,345), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (187,103), Sindh (60,424), and Tribal areas (29,937). The skill composition of Pakistani emigrants in 2024 continues to be dominated by unskilled and semi-skilled labour, with relatively low representation from highly qualified and highly skilled professionals. According to the data, 50 percent of emigrants fall under the unskilled category (366,092), while 35 percent (255,706) are skilled workers. Although there has been a slight decline compared to 2023, unskilled labour remains in high demand globally, particularly in construction, domestic work, and agriculture sectors. The total population of Pakistan according to Seventh Population and Housing Census (2023) has reached 241.5 million; growing at 2.55 percent annually. The population comprises 124.32 million (51.5%) males and 117.15 million (48.5) females. A significant share of Pakistan's population is young, with 26% aged 15-29 years, while 53.8% fall within the working-age group of 15-59 years. This demographic dividend presents a unique opportunity for economic expansion and development. However, to fully capitalize on this advantage, strategic investments in education, skill development, and vocational training are essential. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
