Three-year quota creates state-backed route to Europe as Pakistan sees record emigration and rise in irregular routes
Pakistanis at Lahore airport. PHOTO: AFP/Archive
ISLAMABAD:
Italy has opened an unusual legal path for Pakistani workers to Europe by allocating a quota of 10,500 jobs over the next three years, a move that officials say could help curb illegal migration.
Under the agreement, 3,500 Pakistanis will travel to Italy every year to work under seasonal and non-seasonal programmes, according to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistan and Human Resource Development.
Of the annual quota, 1,500 workers will be hired under a seasonal regime, while 2,000 will be placed in non-seasonal jobs.
The allocation 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.
This development comes as outbound migration from Pakistan accelerates markedly.
Nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis have left the country in the past three years, driven by low wages, high inflation, unemployment and rising education costs.
The Economic Survey 2024-25 shows that more than one million Pakistanis went abroad in search of work in a single fiscal year, underscoring the growing dependence on overseas employment and remittances.
Officials say the Italian quota offers a legal and structured alternative to irregular migration, which has increased in recent years.
Read: The Government takes advantage of the demand for qualified labor in the EU
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 are victims of smugglers and risk being detained, deported or killed while crossing the Mediterranean.
By providing state-backed access to Europe, the deal with Italy is seen as a way to reduce desperation-driven migration and channel workers into regulated routes.
Italy has allocated employment quotas for Pakistani workers in ship breaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture.
The positions include welders, technicians, chefs, waiters, housekeepers, nurses, medical technicians, agricultural workers and day laborers, ministry officials said.
The plan targets skilled and semi-skilled labor, aligning demand for workers with labor shortages in Italy.
Punjab, Pakistan’s largest source of foreign labor, is expected to benefit the most. Official records show that 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 immigrants die of asphyxiation on a ship bound for Spain
Studies show that around 40% of Pakistanis, especially in urban areas, express a desire to leave the country, adding urgency to 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 remain “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. Talks 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 and risky travel to state-backed legal, skills-based mobility.
