ISLAMABAD: In recent times, Pakistan has witnessed a significant spike in emigration as millions of its citizens actively seek opportunities abroad, reveals Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).
This trend is a direct response to the challenges the country currently grapples with, including a burgeoning population, economic instability that has resulted in limited domestic job prospects, and the impact of soaring inflation, states the research.
From 2018 till end of 2022, a total of 129,337 visas were cleared out of which almost 9,000 were family visas, 6,415 were study visas, 100,456 visitor visas, 4,615 work visas and 8,809 other visas. These were approved from all over the country.
Whereas in the first three quarters of the past year 2023, almost 9,800 nationals were approved family visas, 39,132 study visas, 105,601 visitor visas, 29,461 work visas and 6,270 other visas in Pakistan. A total of 190,270 visas were approved across the country in only the first three quarters of the past year.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Pakistan’s ranking among the nationalities of migrants arriving in Europe climbed from ninth place in 2016 to seventh position in 2023. The number of applicants who applied for first-time asylum in the EU witnessed a substantial increase from 14,535 in 2013 to 32,975 in 2022. Notably, the year 2022 witnessed a remarkable surge, marking a 57 percent increase compared to 2021 within the EU countries and a 48 percent increase in non-EU countries.
PIDE’s research further states that a considerable increase in work and student-related visas to the UK shows an upward trend over the years, both in absolute and relative terms. Work-related visas also register the highest number of applications, with a favorable acceptance rate.
In terms of ranking, Pakistan stood first among countries applying for family visas to the UK. It secures the fourth position in worker, work, and student visas and stands fifth in visitor visas.
Significant changes were observed in the total number of visa applications, reflecting an overall increase of around 34 percent in comparing the three quarters of 2023 to their corresponding quarters in 2022. Notably, work-related visas and study categories exhibited remarkable growth rates of roughly 268 percent and 51 percent, respectively.
Another crucial avenue of migration is educational mobility, which has recently seen a substantial surge in the number of Pakistani students studying abroad. These students often opt for Western nations, primarily with the intention of pursuing permanent residency.
Prominent destinations include the UK, Australia, the US, Canada, and Germany, among others. Recently, China, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea have also emerged as top choices for Pakistani students seeking educational opportunities. To put it in perspective, student mobility from Pakistan to the US gradually increased until the early 2010s, with some fluctuations.
The most significant growth in 2022/23, reaching 10,164 students, with roughly 16 percent growth, indicates a growing interest in US education among Pakistani students in recent years. In the case of Australia, a significant change occurred in 2022-23 when the number of student visas granted in 2022 surged by around threefold compared to 2021, indicating a resurgence in international student mobility. During the year 2022-23, the student visa category to the UK has a high number of applications and enjoys a relatively high approval rate of 97 percent.
The trends in overall visa issuance by the US show a consistent increase from 2013 to 2016, followed by a dip in 2017-2019, a notable drop in 2020, likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and a substantial surge in 2022. A recent statement from the US embassy in Pakistan states, “Demand for US visas is the highest it has ever been. We are processing more visa applications than ever before and are working hard to bring down visa appointment wait time.”
Similarly, not only in the US but also within the North American region, Pakistan ranked among the top 10 countries with immigrants residing in Canada. According to statistics, Canada’s 2021 census of population, this constitutes 2.7 percent of the immigrant population, emphasizing the significant presence of Pakistani diaspora in Canada.
In 2020, nearly 6.3 million Pakistani immigrants were residing abroad, making Pakistan one of the top ten immigrant populations globally. Outmigration has consistently increased over the two decades, with a substantial 86 percent increase in migrant growth compared to the year 2000.
