Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis attended an event in connection with International Migrants Day organized by International organization for Migration.
Islamabad : International Migrants Day organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN’s body on migration, at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).
In his address at the event, Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain stated that safe and organized overseas employment is a priority for the Government of Pakistan. Migrants are playing a significant role in global economic and social development. Approximately 12 million Pakistanis are working abroad. Overseas Pakistanis are strengthening the national economy through remittances. This year, more than 700,000 Pakistanis have gone abroad for employment. The government is implementing effective measures for the protection and rights of migrants. Skill development programs can provide Pakistanis with better opportunities for overseas employment. The National Skills Passport is facilitating access to jobs abroad.
Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain further added that in recent weeks, incidents of offloading Pakistanis traveling abroad for employment at airports have been reported. High-level meetings were held between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis on this matter, with the Interior Minister also in attendance. The Prime Minister of Pakistan has established a high-level committee to address this issue. It is hoped that by January, measures will be in place to prevent offloading incidents at airports for Pakistanis seeking employment abroad. Standard operating procedures are being developed in collaboration with all stakeholders to stop such occurrences in future.
IOM Pakistan Chief of Mission Mio Sato said migration had always shaped societies and identities, including Pakistan’s own history. “Migration is not just a story of movement. It is a story of humanity,” she said, urging young people to look beyond “the bleak picture”.
“When young people have access to accurate information, ethical pathways and skills-based opportunities, they are empowered to make choices that are safe and transformative,” Ms Sato said.
She noted that Pakistan remained one of the world’s major countries of origin for migrants and had also hosted millions of displaced people over decades, making mobility “deeply woven into the country’s social and economic fabric”.
The event brought together diplomats, government officials, journalists, digital creators and hundreds of students, placing young people at the centre of discussions on safe, regular and ethical migration at a time when global narratives around mobility are increasingly shaped by misinformation and political polarisation.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
