The Harsh Truth About Pakistan's Growing Migration Crisis

 Unwanted Destination

The Harsh Truth About Pakistan's Growing Migration Crisis

 Mubasher Mir

Pakistan — a land of breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and immense potential — finds itself in the midst of a crisis far deeper than economic or political turmoil. It is a crisis of belief — in opportunity, in fairness, in the future.

Despite its natural beauty, fertile lands, and a resilient population, Pakistan is steadily becoming an unwanted destination, even for its own citizens. The signs are unmistakable. In 2023 alone, over 850,000 Pakistanis left the country in search of better prospects — a significant jump from 622,000 in 2022, as per the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment. Meanwhile, deportations from Gulf states, Europe, and the United States continue to climb, with over 100,000 Pakistanis returned in the past five years due to visa violations and illegal stays.

Paradoxically, despite these deportations, the desire to leave has only intensified. Student and work visa applications have surged, even as rejection rates remain high — particularly in the Schengen Zone, UK, and North America. Concerns about illegal overstays, economic instability, and lack of institutional trust plague applicants.

Pakistan’s global standing paints an even grimmer picture. Ranked fourth worst in the world by the 2024 Henley Passport Index, the Pakistani passport offers visa-free access to just 33 countries. This limited mobility is not merely a logistical constraint — it’s a reflection of how the world views us.

A staggering 127,000 Pakistani students went abroad in 2023 alone, hoping for quality education, employment, and eventual citizenship. This accelerating brain drain is draining the nation of its future — the very minds that could have rebuilt it.

What drives this exodus? Disillusionment. Young people cite systemic corruption, nepotism, lack of meritocracy, economic uncertainty, and absence of justice as primary motivators. Even high achievers find themselves disempowered in a system where success often hinges more on connections than competence.

Pakistan is not only failing to retain its talent, but also struggling to attract the world. In 2023, fewer than one million foreign tourists visited, despite our majestic mountains, lush valleys, and historical wonders. The reasons? Security concerns, bureaucratic inefficiencies, poor infrastructure, and inconsistent policies — all of which deter investment and tourism.

Foreign corporations are also losing faith. In 2023, Shell — one of Pakistan’s oldest multinational firms — exited the country, citing regulatory and economic instability. Other companies have scaled back or suspended operations, signaling a troubling erosion of investor confidence.

Even as remittances surpassed $29 billion in 2023, this surge is rooted not in growth, but in desperation. Migration — particularly of low and mid-income workers to the Middle East — has become the economic lifeline. Yet while we depend on our diaspora, we offer them little reason to return.

This is not just a migration crisis. It is a national reckoning — a crisis of faith in the very fabric of the state. It reflects a growing sentiment among Pakistanis that their homeland no longer hears them, protects them, or offers them hope. It betrays the legacy of the martyrs who dreamed of a sovereign, just, and prosperous Pakistan — their blood sowed a nation now withering under incompetence and greed.

The tragedy deepens when one observes that many who once held power now live abroad — with foreign passports, insulated from the crises they helped create. Some still hold office, raising serious questions: can those who have sworn allegiance to another flag be entrusted with shaping Pakistan’s future?

It is time for Pakistan to choose: cosmetic fixes or structural reform. The status quo is untenable. Truth, transparency, and accountability must replace slogans and surface-level solutions. Someone must bell the cat — if not the current leadership, then the next generation must. And they are ready: informed, courageous, and unwilling to be silent any longer.

This message is not born of despair, but of unwavering love. Pakistan is my home — the soil that raised me, the spirit that shaped me, and the dream that sustains me. I refuse to abandon that dream. And I know millions feel the same way — from Karachi to Khuzdar, from Swat to Sindh.

We owe it to our martyrs. We owe it to our youth. We owe it to the generations yet to come.

Pakistan must become a country worth staying in — and one worth returning to.

Because we do not want to be a nation of departures.

We want to be a nation of returns.