Three-year quota creates state-backed route to Europe as Pakistan sees record emigration, rise in irregular routes
Pakistanis at Lahore airport. PHOTO: AFP/File
ISLAMABAD:
Italy has opened a rare legal route for Pakistani workers to Europe by awarding a quota of 10,500 jobs over the next three years, a move officials say could help curb illegal migration.
Under the scheme, 3,500 Pakistanis will travel to Italy every year to work under seasonal and non-seasonal schemes, according to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
Of the annual quota, 1,500 workers will be employed under seasonal arrangements, while 2,000 will be placed in non-seasonal jobs.
The award makes Italy the first European country to formally open its labor market to Pakistan through a quota-based mechanism. Officials say it could set a precedent for similar deals with other European states.
The development comes as emigration from Pakistan accelerates sharply.
Nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis left the country over the past three years, driven by low wages, high inflation, unemployment and rising education costs.
The Economic Survey 2024-2025 shows that more than one million Pakistanis traveled abroad for work in a single financial year, underscoring the growing reliance on overseas employment and remittances.
Officials say the Italian quota offers a legal, structured alternative to irregular migration, which has increased in recent years.
Read: The government takes advantage of the EU’s demand for qualified labour
Illegal migration to Europe increased by 280% in 2022, with thousands of Pakistanis attempting dangerous journeys through Libya, Egypt and other transit routes.
Authorities say many migrants fall prey to smugglers and risk detention, deportation or death while crossing the Mediterranean.
By providing state-supported access to Europe, the Italy deal is seen as a way to reduce desperation-driven migration and channel workers onto regulated routes.
Italy has allocated job quotas for Pakistani workers in ship breaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture.
The positions include welders, technicians, cooks, waiters, housekeeping staff, nurses, medical technicians, farm laborers and agricultural workers, ministry officials said.
The scheme targets skilled and semi-skilled labour, matching labor demand with Italy’s labor shortage.
Punjab, Pakistan’s biggest source of overseas labor, is expected to benefit most. Official records show the province has sent more than 7.2 million emigrants since 1981.
It is followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Read more: Four Pakistani migrants suffocated on boat to Spain
Surveys show that around 40% of Pakistanis, especially in urban areas, express a desire to leave the country, increasing the need for safe and legal migration channels.
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the quota was secured after sustained diplomatic engagement, including a special request to the Italian authorities.
Calling it an “important milestone,” he said the agreement opened new doors for Pakistani workers in the European labor market.
He added that overseas Pakistanis remained “the backbone of the national economy.”
Officials say the momentum is expected to continue.
The second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group is scheduled for February 2026 in Islamabad. Conversations will focus on implementation and the possibility of expanding the quota.
For a country that has seen more than 13.8 million people emigrate since 1981, Italy’s move signals a potential shift from illegal, risky travel to legal, skills-based mobility supported by the state.
