Law and practice: the recruitment of low-skilled Pakistani workers for overseas employment

Pakistanis can legally pursue overseas employment through two modalities, either through an overseas employment promoter, which can be public or private, or through “direct” employment, by which an individual makes an employment arrangement on their own or through a friend or relative working abroad.

In today’s globalized economy, Pakistani workers are increasingly looking for job opportunities beyond their home country, to find better livelihoods and decent work. While public and private employment agencies have an important role in matching available jobs in countries of destination with suitably qualified workers, concerns have been raised about the growing number of unscrupulous employment agencies, informal labour intermediaries and other operators acting outside the legal and regulatory framework.

This report looks into the prevailing recruitment practices in Pakistan, with a focus on low-skilled migrant workers. It describes the current legal and policy frameworks, looks at actual practices and provides recommendations on how to make enforcement of recruitment regulations more efficient and equitable. It also proposes possible measures to overcome challenges related to self-regulation and ethical recruitment.