Over 3.5 million skilled Pakistani workers, constituting approximately 1.3% of the country’s total population, have emigrated for employment through government channels between 2019 and August 2024.
Among these are 43,500 medical professionals, including 13,500 doctors, and 238 pilots who have sought employment abroad during this period.
The data also highlights that 32,000 professional engineers and 24,000 accountants have left Pakistan for work opportunities overseas.
Moreover, over a million laborers and another million drivers have migrated for employment. This includes 600,000 general laborers and 500,000 security personnel, such as security guards.
At the same time, Pakistan now ranks fifth globally on the list of countries contributing the highest number of illegal immigrants to Europe, as revealed by a report from the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).
The report also presents alarming findings, indicating that nearly 40% of Pakistanis express a desire to leave the country. Key reasons include economic hardships, political instability, limited educational opportunities, unemployment, inflation, and the threat of terrorism.
![Local residents at the Swat River, which is overflowing due to pre-monsoon heavy rains in the area on the outskirts of Mingora, the main town of Pakistan's Swat Valley [Sherin Zada/AP]](https://mmnews.tv/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Flooding-in-Swat-river-350x250.jpg)
