ecently, there has been a growing trend where a significant number of Pakistani parents aspire to send their children abroad for a ‘better’ future. A popular response to questions about a young boy’s education or future from parents is that they are planning to send him abroad. Middle-class and lower middle-class families are more inclined towards this trend.

When it is asked as to why they do not wish to enroll them in a graduate programme at a university in Pakistan, you will be told that they do not have enough resources to pay the university fee. More importantly, one is told that even if the young individual continues to study, there in great uncertainty about their future once they complete the four-year programme — will they get a good job? There are already too many degree holders who lack employment and are stressed out. “We should send our son abroad. He will work there, settle down in a few years, and send us money as well. He’ll return, get married, and go back again, so that his kids can grow in a financially sound environment.” Add to that the fact that one is told that the individual can also secure the nationality of that respective country in some years, and voila, you have a secure prosperous future. Parents emphasise that rather than keeping their child with them here and seeing them unemployed, struggle with anxiety and stress, it is preferable to see them happy in another country, where they can make money and support their family, including old parents.

Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world with a population of more than 240 million. Pakistan has a high percentage of young people; it is estimated that 64 percent of the country’s population is below the age of 30, while 29 percent is between 15 and 29 years. According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, 832,229 Pakistanis left their country in 2022. This includes 750,000 young people. As per a survey by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), 62 percent of young Pakistani men between the ages of 15 and 24 wish to leave the country. Young Pakistanis leaving or planning to leave the country in large numbers should be a major concern; the causes should be identified and analysed.

One of the most important factors is unemployment and a lack of opportunities. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), unemployment rate in Pakistan is 7 percent. It has increased significantly in the last five years. In 2018, it had stood at 5.8 percent. The number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training as a percentage of the total youth population is known as the NEET rate. It is a more comprehensive indication of potential youth labour market participation than youth unemployment. According to Gallup Pakistan, the NEET rate of Pakistan is 37 percent. This means that 21.8 million youth aged 15-29 are neither studying nor in employment.

The lack of opportunities is directly linked with unemployment and the NEET rate. Most of the available jobs are either in the informal sector or low-paying jobs in the service industry. The formal sector, which includes industries such as manufacturing and technology, has limited job opportunities. It is crucial to emphasise that this is the result of ineffective economic policies; for example, inefficient capital tax policies promoted investment and provided protection for the real estate sector. Moving resources away from investments in other, more productive industries could have created new jobs while also making a more significant contribution to national economy.

High rates of inflation and poor economic conditions in the country rank as the second most important causes for outbound migration for young Pakistanis. Pakistan’s consumer price inflation increased by a record 35.37 percent from a year earlier in March. Annual food inflation in urban and rural areas are recorded as 47.1 percent and 50.2 percent, respectively. Fuel prices in Pakistan have risen by more than 100 percent during the last year and a half. In September 2021, the price of petrol was Rs 119.25 per litre; by March 2023, it had risen by 128 percent to Rs 272 per litre. When young people receive a job offer in any salary bracket during the ongoing unemployment and uncertainty, they have to accept it because most of them are struggling financially and have to cater for their families. However, they experience great stress and anxiety at the end of the month since they are unable to manage their expenditures because of record-high food and fuel prices. After exhausting themselves in such employments for a while, they realise that the only chance they have out of their plight and misery is through migration.

It is important to note that Pakistan is one of the 15 countries in the world with more than 10 million people aged 60 and over. There are currently an estimated 16 million senior citizens in Pakistan. The figure is projected to rise to 45 million by the year 2050. However, less than 10 percent of the elderly population receives a pension. Thus, they depend on their children for their wellbeing. Because of this, young people are under pressure to earn well in order to support both their needs and those of their older family members. This is another reason why parents desire that their children work abroad.

When young, educated people leave their home country, skilled labour that could have made a significant contribution to the country is lost. The government of Pakistan needs to devise a comprehensive policy to create better opportunities for the young population. Agri-tech, skill training programmes and promotion of entrepreneurship are potential areas to work on.

The writer is a communications specialist and a freelance writer. He is based in Rawalpindi and can be reached at qureshiwaqas@gmail.com. He tweets @qureshiwaqasA