People are leaving Pakistan in unprecedented numbers. With a collapsing economy and record-high inflation, more than eight lakh Pakistanis fled the country during the first half of this year, setting a new record. One hundred thousand of them were highly educated professionals, such as physicians, nurses, engineers, information technology (IT) specialists, and accountants.
The official numbers, however, may only tell half the tale, as thousands more migrants enter Europe illegally.
According to a report citing data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 8.32 million Pakistanis had fled the country as of June of this year. About four million were educated professionals.
Even though Pakistan has experienced large-scale emigration in recent years, the mass departure of trained professionals may be of particular concern. With increasing unemployment, soaring inflation, a collapsing economy, political unpredictability, and a rise in fundamentalism, the environment is ideal for brain outflow.
MOST IMMIGRANTS FROM PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
Recent years have seen a rise in emigration from Pakistan.
Approximately 7.65 million individuals fled Pakistan last year. About one hundred thousand of them were highly competent professionals.
More than half of the emigrants were from Pakistan’s Punjab province, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Emigration cited by the Express Tribune. Approximately 27,000 of the refugees were from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).
The figure for 2022 was triple that of 2021, when 2.25 lakh Pakistanis emigrated to other nations. In 2020, 2,800,000 Pakistanis departed the country for foreign lands. It must be remembered that both 2020 and 2021 were pandemic years in which worldwide travel restrictions were in effect.
Pakistan intellect depletion due to emigration
According to a 2022 report by the Express Tribune, the majority of Pakistanis are emigrating to West Asian countries, primarily Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Romania, according to the report, is the preferred European destination for Pakistanis.
In contrast to India, which prohibits dual citizenship, Pakistanis who emigrate to another country may keep and use their Pakistani passport. At least seven ministers in the cabinet of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan had dual citizenship or permanent residency in another country. This dual citizenship provision has been one of the primary causes of corruption in Pakistan, with politicians and military generals funneling funds abroad.