Concerns arise in Gulf states regarding Pakistani labour force

ISLAMABAD: In a concerning development for Pakistanis working abroad, multiple Gulf nations have voiced their concerns regarding Pakistani expatriates and labour force working in their respective countries.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Dr Arshad apprised the forum that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait have voiced reservations on various issues related to overseas Pakistanis.

The development comes months after the ministry in September 2023 informed the same body that out of all the Pakistanis leaving the country, beggars are going abroad the most.

The official had said that Pakistani beggars travel to Iraq and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the guise of ziarat [pilgrimage]. Most people visit KSA on Umrah visas and then indulge in begging-related activities.

Out of all the beggars who were arrested, 90% turned out to be Pakistanis, the secretary had said.

However, the current development relates to a significantly more concerning issue as it highlights the rather "inappropriate" behaviour of Pakistanis in the UAE which includes them making videos in front of women in Dubai.

Ministry officials apprised the committee today that around 0.6 to 0.8 million Pakistanis go abroad each year, of which 200,000 to 300,000 come back.

Out of the total people travelling abroad, 96% go to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, they said.

Pakistani expats behind 50% of crimes in UAE

Briefing about the problems that other nations have with Pakistan, the officials informed the committee that the UAE informed us that we had a quota of 1.6 million, which has exceeded to 1.8 million.

Pakistanis, they said, visit Malaysia for a year, extend their stay, and are then sent to jail. People have also slipped in Iraq, the officials said, noting that their exact number is not known.

Senator Nasir Abbas, adding to the conversation, said Bangladeshis are securing more jobs compared to Pakistanis. He added that in Iraq, Pakistanis are "helpless" as they are employed as cheap labour. Abbas added that they are kept as "prisoners" in Iraq.

The senator said that development works are underway in Iraq and they need labour. In response, the overseas officials said that Pakistanis in Iraq have several complaints.

Moving forward, the officials told the committee members that 2 million Pakistanis reside in Saudi Arabia and 0.4 million go to the kingdom every year.

KSA authorities, the officials said, have asked Pakistanis not to send "beggars and sick people". They added that GCC is modern now, they are focusing on technology and development.

The overseas ministry officials said that Pakistanis going abroad are "unskilled" and noted that our people aren't being trained as well. "People from other nations are replacing ours."

They also noted that Pakistanis' work ethics, work attitudes, and involvement in crime are big issues. In UAE, they said, Pakistanis are involved in 50% of the overall crime.

The officials said nations are "suspicious" of Pakistanis and are looking towards others. Providing further details, they said that 600,000-800,000 people go abroad, of which 96% travel to the Middle East. "Sensible people search for opportunities and go abroad."

Future of Pakistani workforce

Ringing the alarm bells for the future of the Pakistani labour force seeking to secure jobs in the UAE, the ministry said that the Gulf states are now looking towards Africa as their workers offer even cheaper labour than that of the Pakistani expatriates.

They also highlighted various work-ethic-related issues of Pakistanis as communicated by the GCC countries.

Kuwait has complained of Pakistani nurses refusing to perform certain job-related duties and instead put the onus on ward boys for regular activities such as helping a patient sit up.

Also, not only the nurses do not learn their language but also want to be sent to Europe after spending merely six months in the country.

Meanwhile, Qatar, as per the officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, has complained about Pakistani labourers refusing to wear safety helmets.

Whereas, KSA has maintained that they will only allow jobs to workers who were able to pass the test of their relevant authority i.e., National Centre for Human Resources Development (Takamul).

Commenting on the measures being taken by the government to address the pressing challenges, the officials said that the ministry is gathering data regarding the availability of jobs and new professions in various countries.

They also said that a cabinet committee has been constituted under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself regarding matters related to immigration.

We want our perception to be that these [Pakistani] people are skilled, they said.