City, Date — The year 2023 has witnessed an exodus of more than 450,000 Pakistani individuals, who, in search of promising occupational prospects, embarked on journeys to foreign lands during the initial seven months of the year.
Data, meticulously gathered by the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, unveils a staggering count of 450,110 Pakistanis who formally enlisted for overseas work opportunities within the span of this year’s initial seven months, culminating in the month of July. A comprehensive analysis of the data delineates a diverse range of vocations pursued by these overseas aspirants.
A comprehensive breakdown of these emigrants, as provided by the bureau, delineates that out of the cohort who embarked on this journey, 192,188 individuals assumed roles as laborers, while 96,466 individuals undertook responsibilities as drivers. Within this cohort, there exists an assortment of professionals, including 4,705 engineers, 4,431 accountants, 1,925 doctors, and 764 teachers.
Noteworthy within this composition, is the division of occupational strata among the departees. A nuanced examination of this demographic distribution underscores that 12,787 individuals held esteemed qualifications, while a substantial pool of 26,405 individuals showcased a commendable array of skill sets.
The destination spectrum of these venturesome individuals spans across several prominent nations. Saudi Arabia emerged as a primary beacon, drawing in 205,515 of the migratory populace. In a similar vein, the United Arab Emirates extended its embrace to 121,745 individuals. Moreover, Qatar and Oman beckoned 35,637 and 34,140 individuals respectively, allured by the allure of fresh horizons. This journey also led to destinations such as Malaysia (16,166), Bahrain (7,441), Greece (2,565), Romania (3,275), and Iraq (2,119), showcasing the global outreach of Pakistan’s job-seeking diaspora.
An important caveat to consider is that the statistics furnished by the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment encapsulate exclusively those individuals who formalized their endeavors through the bureau. Notably absent from this dataset are those who voyage for educational pursuits or engage in migration via alternative channels, such as direct immigration pathways.
Looking back at the preceding year, a striking comparison unveils that in 2022, a remarkable 832,339 Pakistani citizens embarked on similar journeys in pursuit of overseas employment, marking a significant crescendo and asserting itself as the highest number recorded since 2016. This collective quest for new employment landscapes reflects the unwavering determination of Pakistanis to traverse geographical boundaries in the pursuit of enhanced vocational opportunities.
