Photo credit; UNHCR
Pakistan was not one of the countries of origin òf Eurirregular migrants in 2022.
However, according to a report by the National Commission of Human Rights in Pakistan, in 2023, Europe had become the fifth prominent desire of Pakistanis.
DAWN reports that there’s a new route and Pakistani authorities have said that more migrants leave via Dubai to Egypt or Libya and on to Europe.
In the first half of 2022, about 13,000 Pakistanis left for Egypt or Libya double the 2022 number. About 10,000 of the migrants are yet to return.
The last few years of political and economic uncertainty, terrorism, inflation and declining opportunities have also contributed. They have created a conducive environment to risk losing it all, as the tragic sinking of the boat and in June 2023 where over 350 Pakistanis’ lives were lost shows.
The floods of 2023 have also played a role in creating an environment conducive to the hazards of irregular migration.
In 2018, Pakistan introduced a legislation to prevent irregular migration. However, the consequence was that these policies drove migrants towards riskier border-crossing methods.
The report says apart from being a source for smuggled migrants and trafficked individuals, Pakistan is also a transit point and a destination.
The poorer class of irregular migrants choose land and sea routes while the more affluent travel by air. The latter often possess legitimate passports and visas.
