Can exporting manpower become a revenue source for Pakistan and put an end to the tragic deaths of thousands at the hands of border forces
By Atif Khan
If you ask anyone if they want to go abroad for work, their answer is likely to be positive, and the reasons are obvious: the unprecedented inflation and unemployment. Until two years ago, the cost of basic necessities for a common household was Rs 10,000; today, they cannot be purchased for Rs 20,000. Not only food and transport, but utility bills, including electricity and gas, have also skyrocketed. A person earning 100,000 rupees believes that by working in America or any European country and sending home $2,000, they could save Rs. 5,500,000. Similarly, a laborer earning Rs. 30,000 thinks that by saving two thousand riyals through hard work in the Gulf states, they can send one and a half lakh rupees home. Despite a strong desire for a job abroad, most people never succeed in going overseas. The government has launched a scheme to send Pakistanis abroad for jobs. Here are the details about the plan and how a common man can benefit from the initiative.
What is work immigration?
There are two ways to go abroad from Pakistan: one is legal, and the other is illegal. The legal method involves obtaining a visa through a country's embassy or an agent. Each country has its own visa policy, but generally, you can travel abroad for tourism, education, work, or business. Migration to another country for work is called work immigration. You can apply for a work visa independently or through an agent. If you search for a job through the internet or through a friend or relative living abroad and receive a confirmed job offer, you can go to the embassy of that country and obtain a visa for a fee, usually a few hundred dollars.
How is work immigration obtained?
If you apply through an agent, you may need up to $30,000 for a work visa to any European country or the United States. Opting for a visit visa is a more affordable alternative, but the requirements for Western countries are stringent. For instance, eligibility for a US Visit Visa entails having 20 lakh rupees in the bank, several transactions from your account in the last six months, ownership of property, and a monthly income exceeding Rs 100,000. Applying for a visit visa through an agent usually costs around one lakh rupees. However, securing employment on a visit visa is considered a gamble. The most economical work immigration option for Pakistani workers is in the Gulf countries, but the majority of jobs in these states are low-paid labor positions. Labor visas for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are available through agents, typically ranging between five and one million rupees.
Migration background for work?
Since 1971, Pakistanis have been migrating to different countries around the world. According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, between 1971 and 2020, more than eleven million Pakistanis migrated to 54 countries for employment. In 2015, around 0.9 million Pakistanis went abroad for work. About 80 percent of Pakistanis migrate to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states.
According to Shehbaz Akbar, the head of the non-governmental organization Speak Trust, which focuses on migration, Pakistanis primarily migrate to Gulf countries for two reasons. The first is the convenience of obtaining visas through their friends and relatives, and the second is the continual demand for construction workers in Gulf countries.
However, Shahbaz highlights employment-related challenges in Gulf countries, including low wages and human rights violations. Workers relying on agents for work visas often face deception; sometimes, they are sent on a visit visa that expires after three months, and sometimes they are sent on a visa that is not related to their skills. For instance, a person unfamiliar with driving may be exploited if sent on a driver's visa. One significant drawback of working in Gulf countries for Pakistanis is the considerably lower salaries compared to Europe and America. A typical construction worker, security guard, or driver earns between 1,000 and 2,500 dirhams a month.
The government's plan to boost manpower
After struggling to control the depreciating value of the rupee against the dollar, the PML-N-led coalition government finally realized the immediate need for dollars to run state affairs. Immediate increases in imports or reductions in exports were not feasible. Debts and interest payments to the International Monetary Fund could not be delayed. The government needed foreign currency to purchase gasoline and diesel. It also required funds to address the growing needs of defense and state institutions, including ministries, law and order agencies, and local governments.
To meet these financial needs, the civil and military leadership decided to export human resources overseas for work as the easiest way to bring dollars into the country. Each year, approximately 0.8 million Pakistanis go abroad. Remittances from overseas Pakistanis constitute about 8.5 percent of Pakistan's gross national product, or GDP. According to the State Bank, in 2022, Pakistanis sent remittances worth $31 billion.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis state that the government aims to double this number. The plan is to send one to two million Pakistanis abroad for work every year. In line with this strategy, former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reportedly requested Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman during his visit to Saudi Arabia last year to provide more jobs for Pakistanis in the country. According to officials, the prime minister was informed that there are 100,000 jobs available, but they cannot be given to Pakistanis due to a skill mismatch.
To address this issue, Saudi authorities sent recruiters and trainers to Pakistan. An agreement was already in place, so the project was initiated without any delay under the Takamol program. Saudi staff is present in Pakistan, supervising skill courses in Pakistani training institutes. They verify the skills through testing, and then Saudi staff find appropriate placements for Pakistani skilled workers in Saudi companies. Under this program, young people between the ages of 18 and 35 are trained in various skills and offered jobs
The government plans to launch similar projects with Oman and other states. According to the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Education, discussions are also ongoing with Germany to provide jobs to Pakistanis by offering skills or education in Pakistan. However, all discussions are still in the early stages.
According to officials from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the global demand for manpower has increased significantly. Countries like Korea, Japan, Europe, and America all require skilled individuals. Despite this huge demand, only 639,000 Pakistanis could go abroad from January to September this year.
Pakistan's share in the international job market is shrinking: ILO Director Gear Tunstall
Geir Thomas Tonstol, the head of the International Labor Organization Pakistan, believes that the space for Pakistanis in the international job market is shrinking due to a lack of skills and a language barrier. He observes that the demand for skilled labor is high, but there is little room for unskilled labor, especially when sending Pakistanis to countries like Korea, Japan, or Norway.
Highlighting Pakistan's unique demographic advantage with a majority of young people, Gear emphasizes the need to invest in planning and skills to capitalize on this workforce. Recognizing the global demand for young workers, particularly in the healthcare sector, Gear stresses the importance of aligning Pakistan's educational institutions with the skills required in the international job market.
"To effectively contribute to the international job market, Pakistan needs to align its educational institutions with the global demand for talent and the requisite skill levels," says Gear.
The ILO chief underscores the importance of planning for returnees from abroad. He insists that by providing high-skill training, Pakistanis can secure well-paying jobs not only abroad but also find good employment opportunities within the country. Drawing parallels with other Asian countries dominating the world market through high-quality training, Gear stresses the potential benefits for Pakistan.
He mentions that in 2016, his organization supported the government in creating a policy for migrant workers called National Welfare Immigration. However, despite the policy's inception, its implementation is yet to be realized.
Quality of Education: Key Challenge for Pakistan's Competitiveness in the International Market
Officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis emphasize that the challenges faced by Pakistanis in securing work in Western countries extend beyond a lack of talent. They identify political considerations as a major reason, noting that Pakistan's global standing is comparatively weak, and most developed nations favor other Asian nationals over Pakistani workers.
Experts hold Pakistan's education system equally responsible for the failure in the international job market. Often, Pakistani high-skilled labor doesn't meet the standards of semi-skilled labor. The absence of comprehensive career counseling in Pakistan contributes to a focus on traditional professions, which may not have significant demand abroad. The experts emphasize the need for training people to keep up with the technological demands of the world.
Pakistanis face tough competition not only with Europeans but also with highly educated Asians from countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The Ministry of Education acknowledges the need for modern skills but struggles to align education with the dynamic demands of the global job market.
Professionals believe it's the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its subsidiaries, and Pakistani embassies to identify the specific demand for skills and expertise in each country. Once demands are known, it is the duty of the Ministry of Information and related institutions to create awareness and guide people to get education in those specific subjects. They suggest setting equal skill and education standards in institutions. Acknowledging the lack of coordination between government departments, they also admit that each department tends to work in silos, particularly after the 18th Amendment.
Government priorities, as officials note, often focus on media hype and political point scoring rather than concrete solutions. For instance, the state-owned National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), successfully runs a job placement program with Saudi Arabia but faces budget constraints. Despite its success, NAVTTC operates in installments under PSDP, receiving only a fraction of its required budget in the first quarter of the year.Policymakers express dissatisfaction with the performance of international institutions, stating, "The entire performance of the International Labor Organization is limited to supporting immigration policies and recognizing only four NAVTTC institutions internationally, while the German non-governmental organization GIZ's only achievement is recognizing six Pakistani institutions worldwide".
They argue that the ILO, GIZ, and other institutions have failed to fulfill the expected role in relation to migration. "More than 300 people from an NGO are sitting in the Serena Business Complex, but even today, Pakistani youths are going abroad through dinki (an illegal route) and are being brutally shot by border guards or in boats.", an official lamented.
Many believe that international organizations can provide financial and technical support to Pakistan to understand international demand and establish institutions accordingly. Pakistani doctors, nurses, and engineers are no less competent than professionals worldwide. However, their degrees are not recognized internationally. A doctor has to go abroad and study for many years before being recognized as a doctor. The ILO can also offer technical and financial assistance to get the degrees of Pakistani doctors, nurses, and engineers recognized internationally. This would enhance the capacity of Pakistani educational institutions to meet international standards or initiate a program of integration with Western countries.
Overseas job opportunities for common Pakistanis
If you're expecting the government to provide a comprehensive job portal or a database of job opportunities abroad, along with the required skills, there is no such provision yet, and it is unlikely in the coming future. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the Foreign Office, and other relevant institutions, blame a lack of government priorities and resources.
In simple words, if you want to go abroad for a job, you have to rely on your own resources. However, for unskilled young workers NAVTTC is a rare opportunity.
According to Dr. Khalid, Director General of NAVTTC, there is no better option for Pakistanis between the ages of 18 and 35 who want to go abroad and get a job.
Under this program, not only are the candidates being provided with free technical training, but the Saudi authorities also arrange jobs for them in Saudi Arabia. The 3-6 months training is freee, however, students have to pay a one-time fee of $40. Out of which, $25 go to the Saudi government, while the remaining amount is paid to the training institute. According to Dr. Khalid, under this program, 17,500 people have been sent to Saudi Arabia on employment.
NAVTTC plan to send technical education to one lakh students abroad in the coming year. According to Dr Khalid a testing center has been started in Quetta, while centers will be opened soon in other major cities of the country.
What is Takamol or skill verification program?
Takamol is a Joint Skill Testing and certification Program by Saudi Takamol Skill Verification and NAVTTC Pakistan.
Saudi officials train people in Pakistan and, after checking their qualifications, get them employed in Saudi Arabia. Initially, the Saudi authorities asked NAVTTC to train people in 23 trades including electricians, dentists, painters, etc. They also provided the skill sets and explained what level of expertise they require.
After the success of the pilot project, 23 more trades have been added to the list this year. A joint software has been developed through which the Saudi authorities are conducting online testing of Pakistani talent. A total of 114 centers have been identified under private partnership, out of which around 30 are operational, while the rest will be opened in the coming days.
Conclusion
A large number of Pakistanis want to go abroad for work, but the options are limited. Labor will benefit from the development program, but what about high-skilled workforce? The government can start a program like Takamol with western countries also, to send doctors, engineers, nurses, IT professionals, and other professionals abroad. Pakistan is also in dire need of help from international non-governmental organizations working on immigration or labor at this time so that they can create a favorable political environment for Pakistanis in the world.
English translation of a Dawn News research story by Atif Khan published on November 27, 2023.
https://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1217017
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