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.
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.
