ISLAMABAD: Government officials from across Pakistan convened in Islamabad this week for a training aimed at strengthening fair recruitment systems, improving labour migration governance, and enhancing protection for Pakistani migrant workers against exploitation and unfair recruitment practices.
The two-day training was organized by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the project “Advancing Safe and Fair Labour Migration,” funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union, with support from GIZ Pakistan.
Pakistan remains one of the world’s major labour-sending countries. In 2025 alone, more than 763,000 Pakistanis migrated abroad for employment through formal channels, contributing significantly to destination economies while supporting millions of households through remittances.
The training brought together representatives from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), provincial labour and human resource departments, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authorities (TVETAs).
Mr Geir Tonstol, Director of the ILO Country Office for Pakistan, stated that “Labour migration should create opportunities for workers — not expose them to debt, exploitation or abuse. Too many workers still face excessive recruitment costs, misleading information and vulnerability even before departure. Strengthening fair recruitment systems is therefore essential to protecting workers’ rights and ensuring that migration remains a pathway to decent work. Workers should not pay for jobs.”
The training focused on strengthening recruitment governance in line with international labour standards. Discussions covered monitoring of private recruitment agencies, recruitment costs, labour agreements, standard employment contracts, and measures to prevent forced labour, trafficking, fraud, and other risks linked to unfair recruitment practices.
Ms Farwa Abbas, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, emphasized that fair recruitment is about protecting workers from exploitation and ensuring they have accurate information before seeking employment abroad. She noted that misinformation, fake job advertisements and misleading narratives on digital platforms are increasingly exposing migrant workers to fraud and abuse. “False promises travel faster than regulations,” she said, stressing the need for governance systems to evolve in response to the growing role of digital spaces in labour migration.
The training also explored the importance of accurate pre-departure information, expectation management for migrant workers, and stronger coordination among institutions responsible for labour migration governance in Pakistan.
Participants are expected to develop institutional and individual action plans aimed at improving coordination and strengthening implementation of fair recruitment principles across Pakistan’s labour migration system.
The initiative reflects ongoing collaboration between the Government of Pakistan, the ILO, the European Union, BMZ and GIZ Pakistan to strengthen rights-based labour migration governance and support safer and fairer migration pathways for Pakistani workers.
