According to recent data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, nearly one million Pakistanis have relocated to Gulf countries since April of last year, as reported by Middle East Eye.
Number of Pakistanis Migrated To Gulf Countries
700,000 migrants went to Saudi Arabia, followed by 229,000 to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), over 100,000 to Oman, and over 90,000 to Qatar.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports reported an increase in daily applications from 24,000 to 40,000.
To address this, efforts are being made to increase the workforce and shorten processing times.
According to journalist Imtiaz Gul, the youth in Pakistan are feeling highly depressing as a result of the country’s continuous political and economic crises.
He stated that he realizes many people who are relocating abroad or selling everything, and that something like this had never happened before.
Pakistan’s GDP Decline
In addition, Pakistan’s economy is struggling. The country’s GDP growth rate was 6.1 percent last year, but it is now only 0.3 percent, a significant drop.
Furthermore, the large-scale manufacturing sector, which is critical to the country’s economy, is now facing a phase of decline.
This sector’s growth rate, which was 10.6 percent last year, has fallen to -8.11 percent.
Major automobile manufacturers’ sales in the country have dropped by 80%.
A brutal import ban, imposed to restrict the outflow of foreign cash, completely wiped out the textile industry, laying off roughly seven million workers.
Economist Dr. Kaiser Bengali Views
Dr. Kaiser Bengali, a former government advisor and economist, expressed alarm about the dire consequences of qualified employees fleeing Pakistan.
He stated that when these skilled workers migrate, they frequently bring their families with them, resulting in a decline in remittances.
Dr. Kaiser underlined the growing skills gap in the country, stating, “The skills gap is getting bigger and more critical. It’s already affecting Pakistan’s business capacity and killing off our skill capacity.”
He cautioned that international investors will notice the shortage of skilled personnel when they returned to Pakistan in the future.
To read our blog on “In search of jobs, 127K people left Pakistan in Jan & Feb 23,” click here.
