ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain unveiled a National Immigration and Welfare Policy 2026 on Thursday to ensure safe and orderly migration for overseas nationals, enhance their skills and protect them from exploitation, state media reported.
Pakistan’s government trains and sends thousands of its nationals overseas, especially Gulf countries, from where they send remittances worth billions of dollars every month. According to official figures, there are over 12 million overseas Pakistanis in several countries around the world who sent over $41 billion in remittances last year.
However, overseas nationals have often fallen prey to fraud, human traffickers, required legal protection and found themselves lacking in modern skills demanded by employers worldwide. Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad to launch the new immigration policy, Hussain described it as a “historic milestone” in Pakistan’s migration governance framework and a reflection of the government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of Pakistanis seeking work abroad.
“Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Thursday unveiled the National Immigration and Welfare Policy 2026, a landmark initiative aimed at transforming Pakistan’s labor migration system through safer migration pathways, stronger worker protections, advanced skills development and enhanced support,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The minister noted that rapid technological advances, demographic shifts, and evolving global labor market demands were reshaping economies across the world. He said in such a competitive environment, Pakistan must proactively prepare its workforce to cash in on emerging opportunities and position itself as a leading supplier of skilled human capital.
He explained that the policy integrates the efforts of government institutions, training providers, employers, development partners and the private sector under a unified vision to ensure migrant workers receive support at every stage of the migration cycle.
Hussain said the policy’s implementation would require cooperation among federal and provincial governments, regulatory bodies, employers, development organizations and overseas Pakistanis.
The policy arrives as Pakistan eyes increasing its labor exports to the Middle East amid surging regional tensions, an official at Pakistan’s Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis, said in April. Chaudhry said Islamabad is devising a new strategy to increase its labor exports to the Middle East.
