250,000 Pakistanis Move Abroad in Search of Jobs in Four Months

Islamabad: Nearly 250,000 Pakistanis left the country in the first four months of the current year in search of better employment opportunities abroad, according to official data.

The figures show a significant outflow of skilled professionals as well as labor workers, reflecting growing migration driven by economic conditions and job opportunities overseas in Pakistan.

According to the data, around 150,000 workers moved abroad during this period, along with more than 1,000 doctors, 2,000 engineers, over 1,600 accountants, and more than 500 IT professionals.

The report indicates that Saudi Arabia remained the top destination, with 136,488 Pakistanis relocating there. The United Arab Emirates also saw a significant number of arrivals, with nearly 50,000 Pakistanis moving to Dubai in just four months, compared to 52,500 during the entire previous year.

Other destinations included Qatar with 25,500 migrants, Bahrain with 10,129, Turkey with 3,000, the United Kingdom with 1,100, and the United States with 300 individuals securing employment.

Smaller numbers also moved to countries such as China (850), Greece (1,286), Iraq (1,283), and Japan (577), while no recorded migration was reported to Greenland, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, or West Africa.

The professional breakdown shows that 1,078 doctors, 2,000 engineers, 419 nurses, and 1,650 accountants left the country during the same period. In addition, large numbers of laborers migrated, including 45,000 drivers, 9,500 cooks, 1,235 electricians, 818 mechanics, and 550 computer specialists.

Officials and analysts often link this growing trend of outward migration to the search for better income opportunities and improved living standards abroad.