Pakistan ranked among top 5 countries for illegal immigration to Europe

Pakistan has been identified as one of the top five countries whose citizens are illegaly migrating to  Europe, according to a report issued by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) on Thursday.

The report reveals that at least 40% of Pakistanis find it difficult to live in Pakistan due to economic crisis, political uncertainty, lack of educational and career opportunities, inflation, and terrorism.

The report was prepared by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

As many as 8,778 Pakistanis crossed into Europe illegally by December 2023.

"Illegal immigration is increasing in spite of serious difficulties and danger to life on the illegal routes," NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha said. 

Ms Agha praised the European authorities for making efforts to curb illegal immigration through strong legislation, especially following the deadly boat accident on the Greek coast that killed over 300 Pakistanis.

According to the statistics, Pakistan was not among the top 10 countries of origin for illegal migration in 2022. However, by mid-2023, the country had surged into the top five.

The report stated that Pakistanis usually use Middle East routes Dubai, Egypt and Libya to migrate to Europe. While using this road, at least 13,000 Pakistanis got to Europe in the first half of 2023. 

The trend of illegal migration was seen as more aggressive than in rural areas, with 36 percent of immigrants out of 40 percent of residents of urban areas.

The report stated that 42 percent of people belong to Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are highly willing to leave the country, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 38 percent, Sindh 37.6 percent and Islamabad 36.5 percent. 

The number of illegal Pakistani immigrants to Europe increased by 280 per cent in the last 10 months of 2022. Citizens from Gujrat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin and Sialkot districts have a higher number of illegal migrants to Europe. 

At least 46,000 Pakistanis attempted to illegally migrate to Europe in 2022. Of these, 5,676 used land routes and 19,055 used air travel. However, all were deported or denied entry due to lack of proper documentation.

Senator Quratulain Marri of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said the report was pointing out the challenges facing the country that prompted people to get out of there. 

She emphasised the need for a “coordinated and effective strategy to solve them, and the senate committee would play an effective role in resolving this problem."