Officials fear Pakistan may face another spell of illegal migration, human trafficking
\n ISLAMABAD
\nThe government\u2019s agencies and departments countering human trafficking and illegal immigration are fearing the mounting challenges and risky situation in the wake of the recently-signed Pakistan-Belarus job agreement.
\nIn April this year, PM Shehbaz Sharif visited Belarus where a bilateral agreement was signed, promising over 150,000 employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani workers in various sectors, including IT, healthcare, construction, and engineering in the East European country.
\nUnder the current situation, interest in traveling to Belarus has increased significantly, to the point that the Belarus consulate in Islamabad had to stop accepting applications, according to the sources.
\nThe uncontrolled influx of the Pakistani citizens to Belarus is probably due to their desire to get further to Europe, said a senior official of the Ministry of Interior requesting anonymity.
\nMoreover, the new data from the Eastern Europe reveals that between January 1 and June 22 this year, nearly 14,000 illegal border-crossing attempts were recorded at the Belarus-Poland border, with Pakistani nationals among the top eight nationalities involved, according to statistics.
\nThese developments come in sharp contrast to the optimism generated during Prime Minister\u2019s visit.
\nHowever, nearly two and a half months since the signing, the agreement remains largely unimplemented, revealed an official on Friday.
\nThe Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) has neither issued formal guidelines nor initiated any coordination with Belarusian authorities or certified recruiting agencies.
\nNo feasibility report or cost-benefit analysis has been carried out to evaluate the viability, risks, or logistical aspects of deploying such a large workforce abroad, the official added.
\nMeanwhile, the absence of structured legal pathways for employment abroad may be pushing desperate individuals to seek dangerous alternatives.
\nThe Polish authorities have already detained over 150 people this year for assisting illegal border crossings, highlighting growing regional security and human trafficking concerns.
\nWhile the offer of overseas employment has generated significant interest, economic experts warn that the agreement might be overly ambitious, given Belarus\u2019s struggling economy. Still reeling from international sanctions, Belarus has experienced stagnant growth and persistent inflation.
\nThe country\u2019s average monthly salary stands at around $670\u2013$700, significantly higher than Pakistan\u2019s average of roughly $150\u2013$170.
\nMoreover, Belarus\u2019s minimum wage is approximately $200, while Pakistan\u2019s current minimum wage ranges between PKR 32,000 and 37,000 (roughly $110\u2013$125). In this context, the proposed minimum salary of $1,100 for Pakistani workers seems disproportionately high and raises serious questions about the Belarusian job market\u2019s ability to accommodate and sustain such a large influx of foreign workers under those terms.
\nBelarus itself is treated as a transit country, he said adding it should be emphasized that the EU border is increasingly guarded, and the Pakistanis trying to cross it illegally not only spoil the image of their homeland, but also really expose themselves to the risk of losing their lives and health.
\nAt home too, the travel agents have already started making huge sums by charging the aspiring workers who wish to travel to Belarus with dream of better life.
\nIf the government doesn\u2019t re-visit its plan to send 150,000 skilled workers to Belarus in three phases of 50,000 each this might further augment its woes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Officials fear Pakistan may face another spell of illegal migration, human trafficking ISLAMABAD The government\u2019s agencies and departments countering human trafficking and illegal immigration are fearing the mounting challenges and risky situation in the wake of the recently-signed Pakistan-Belarus job agreement. In April this year, PM Shehbaz Sharif visited Belarus where a bilateral agreement was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":488481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-488455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n