ISLAMABAD: The continuous political instability, growing economic crisis, and rising inflation have plunged Pakistan’s future into uncertainty. These factors have fueled a continuous exodus of educated Pakistanis, with over 700,000 people left the country in the first five months of 2024 alone.
Data from the past four years indicates a significant and steady increase in emigration, with 2024 witnessing a staggering 48 percent rise compared to the corresponding period of previous year.
The Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment report said that Saudi Arabia issued the most visas, followed by the United Arab Emirates, which granted visas to professionals in various categories.
Deputy Director Abdul Shakoor Soomro noted an increased demand for professional workers in the United States and Europe as well.
Over 811,000 Pakistanis left the country in 2023 as living costs continue to climb and political unrest deepens in their home country, a report by the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment stated.
In 2021, approximately 225,000 Pakistanis emigrated, but the number nearly tripled in 2022. Around 765,000 highly educated and skilled youth, including doctors, engineers, IT experts, accountants, and paramedics, left Pakistan for better prospects, resulting in a 300 percent increase in the country’s brain drain.
Most emigrants headed to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Among them were 7,000 engineers, 25,000 doctors, 1,600 nurses, 2,000 computer experts, 6,500 accountants, 2,600 agricultural experts, and 900 teachers.
