By S.M. Inam
Italy’s recent allocation of 10,500 jobs for Pakistan over the next three years offers a window of hope that goes beyond mere employment. With 3,500 Pakistanis eligible annually to work on both seasonal and non-seasonal contracts—1,500 in seasonal roles and 2,000 in non-seasonal ones—the initiative covers sectors ranging from shipbreaking to hospitality, healthcare, and agriculture. For skilled and semi-skilled Pakistanis, it represents more than a paycheck; it is an invitation to participate in a global labor market, to gain experience, and to contribute remittances that can ripple through the domestic economy. Yet while Italy has opened the doors, a pressing question remains: is Pakistan ready to step through them?
Italy’s labor initiative is part of a broader European reality. Across the continent, countries are grappling with chronic workforce shortages. Germany, for instance, has launched programs like the “Chance Card” to attract skilled foreign workers, while entire villages in Italy remain abandoned and Spain faces a yawning gap of millions in its workforce. Portugal, too, struggles with declining populations and a labor market unable to meet domestic demand. For Pakistan, these shortages represent more than an international demographic trend—they are a golden opportunity to channel the country’s human capital into productive avenues, boost remittances, reduce unemployment, and offer its youth work that is both dignified and internationally recognized.
However, the promise of opportunity clashes with a stark domestic reality. Illegal migration has become an entrenched problem, and institutional failings have compounded the challenge. Reports frequently highlight that even Pakistanis with the proper documentation face humiliating treatment at airports, delays, and bureaucratic hurdles that make the process unnecessarily fraught. The issue is further complicated by the open secret of local networks facilitating unauthorized migration—the so-called “dunki business.” In central Punjab, in cities such as Sialkot, Gujrat, Wazirabad, Kharian, and Jhelum, the operators of these networks are widely known, even to children. The question then arises: if the general public is aware, why do the institutions, charged with enforcing the law, appear blind?
The consequences of these failures are not merely administrative; they are economic and geopolitical. In European labor markets, where the jobs allocated to Pakistanis remain unfilled, Indian and Bangladeshi workers increasingly occupy the positions that could have been taken by Pakistanis. The potential benefits—remittances, skill development, and global exposure—are slipping away. At stake is more than individual employment; it is the country’s capacity to participate meaningfully in the international labor ecosystem and to harness its diaspora as a source of economic strength.
Addressing these challenges requires systemic reform. Pakistan cannot afford to treat labor export as a peripheral concern. A legal, transparent, and organized system must be established, one that protects workers, ensures compliance with international standards, and eliminates the influence of illegal networks. Agencies such as the Federal Investigation Agency, alongside other relevant authorities, must transition from the role of gatekeepers to facilitators. Their mission should be to guide, streamline, and monitor legal migration rather than obstruct it. Only by ensuring accountability and efficiency can Pakistan hope to fully capitalize on opportunities abroad.
Moreover, the government must recognize the broader social implications. Overseas employment, when conducted legally and safely, enhances the skill sets of Pakistani workers, exposes them to modern practices, and strengthens the country’s human capital. The remittances earned by these workers do not merely support families; they underpin local economies, fund education, and reduce dependence on international aid. In effect, organized labor migration becomes both a developmental tool and a stabilizing economic force. Conversely, failure to act perpetuates cycles of exploitation, loss of opportunity, and systemic inefficiency.
The lesson from Europe is clear: the demand for labor will not pause for bureaucratic delays. Countries facing population decline and workforce shortages will continue to seek skilled and semi-skilled workers. If Pakistan does not position itself to respond in a structured and compliant manner, other countries and other nationalities will fill the gap. Every unutilized visa represents lost potential, not just for individual workers, but for the economy at large.
Beyond policy, there is a moral imperative. Skilled Pakistanis, many of them young, capable, and aspirational, deserve access to opportunities that the world is offering. Denying them this access through systemic inefficiency, corruption, or neglect is not merely a policy failure; it is a social injustice. Governments and institutions have a responsibility to ensure that talent is nurtured, exported legally, and protected. The stakes are both immediate and long-term: Pakistan’s economic growth, its social cohesion, and the global reputation of its workforce are all on the line.
(The writer is a former government officer and a senior analyst on national and international affairs, can be reached at inam@metro-morning.com)
