orced labour affects more than 3.5 million people in Pakistan, according to estimates. The global total exceeds 30 million. The International Labour Organisation estimates that forced labour generates $236 billion in illegal profits annually. Despite the severity of the issue, coverage by media outlets based in Pakistan remains sparse and superficial.

Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable. They have been found by the ILO to be three times more likely than their non-immigrant counterparts to fall into forced labour. With over 6.5 million Pakistanis seeking employment abroad in the past decade—primarily in the Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—the need for comprehensive media coverage is evident.

Remittances by Pakistani workers abroad account for around $30 billion annually, making up 8-9 percent of GDP and surpassing exports in value. Despite the significant economic benefits of migration, the recruitment process is fraught with risks. Many of the migrant workers pay exorbitant fees to intermediaries and unlicensed recruitment agents. This can lead to unsafe working conditions, debt bondage and forced labour. According to the ILO, the cost for a Pakistani migrant worker to secure employment in Saudi Arabia is three times higher than that for an Indian worker.

One flaw in the media coverage in recent times has been a tendency to treat forced labour accounts and unfair recruitment complaints as isolated events rather than systemic problems. Reports often focus on episodic narratives, such as dramatic cases of abuse or trafficking, rather than providing in-depth coverage or analysis of the broader issues. The superficial treatment fails to effectively highlight the ongoing struggles and systemic nature of forced labour, leaving critical issues inadequately explored and public awareness limited.

A lack of adequate beat assignment/ coverage in most of the media outlets has exacerbated this problem. Unlike politics and sports, few news organisations have dedicated reporters or investigative teams covering labour and manpower beats. Stories on these topics are often brief and lack the depth needed to address the complex nature of the issues.

A 2022 study by CEJ-IBA Karachi highlighted that Pakistani media’s engagement with labour migration issues is insufficient. Media coverage often focuses narrowly on remittances or crime. Scant attention is given to migration laws, the kafala (labour sponsorship) system and the role of sub-agents in irregular migration. “When coverage does occur, migrant workers are rarely directly interviewed, and their working conditions are inadequately represented,” reads the report.

Between January 2017 and May 2020, the study analysed Urdu- and English-language news reports across print, digital and television platforms in Pakistan to assess coverage of fair recruitment processes and labour migration. Major newspapers published the following number of articles on these topics: Dawn (168), The Express Tribune (105), The News (173), The Nation (112) and Daily Times (107). Urdu newspapers had notably less coverage: Daily Jang (23), Nawa-i-Waqt (10), Daily Jasarat (5), Daily Khabrain (3), Daily Express (14) and Dunya (6). The data highlights a general lack of media interest in reporting on migration and forced labour issues.

The lack of coverage is not the only issue; when the media does address forced labour and fair recruitment, it often frames these topics through narrow lenses such as remittances or crime. While the economic benefits of remittances are frequently highlighted, the associated risks and exploitative practices faced by migrant workers are inadequately addressed. Media coverage tends to focus on isolated incidents rather than offering a comprehensive view of the systemic challenges and ongoing issues that affect migrant labour. This limited perspective fails to capture the full scope of the problems and hampers a deeper understanding of the conditions faced by migrant workers.

Another significant issue is the media’s tendency to focus on a few urban centres and politically driven agendas. This narrow focus contributes to a lack of coverage on issues that affect broader populations, such as forced labour and fair recruitment. The episodic approach results in crucial issues not being explored in depth. Follow-up stories are rare.

Editors and reporters sometimes view stories of forced labour and fair recruitment as foreign agenda, driven by international organisations. This perspective misses the fact that these issues are a part of the local reality, affecting millions of people who are trapped in forced labour and remain voiceless. The media has a crucial role to play in bringing these stories to light and giving these issues greater attention.

Mass media outlets have a vital role in shaping public awareness and opinion. Given their role in agenda-setting—shaping and informing public opinion on forced labour and migrant workers—coverage of these issues remains insufficient and often lacks priority. Media’s agenda-setting is often influenced by biases towards topics such as politics, the economy, crime and culture. The perceived significance of an issue often increases with the amount of media attention it receives. Even if readers do not initially have strong opinions about forced labour and migration, consistent journalistic coverage over a period of time can elevate these issues to a pressing concern.

By prioritising stories of forced labour and fair recruitment and developing specialised coverage, the media can drive meaningful change. Comprehensive and sustained reporting can elevate these issues in public discourse, prompt policy reforms and hold authorities accountable for their roles in perpetuating or failing to address exploitation.

To address these issues, media outlets must expand their focus and invest in specialised reporting. This involves not only covering the stories of those affected by forced labour and unfair recruitment but also providing follow-ups and in-depth analyses. By doing so, the media can reveal the exploitation that thrives in the shadows and contribute to a more just and equitable society.

The story of forced labour and unfair recruitment clearly meets the public interest and newsworthiness criteria. As such, it should be given priority in news agendas. The media have a crucial role to play as a watchdog of authorities and a platform for the voiceless. By bringing these issues into the mainstream, they can help foster a deeper understanding of these societal challenges and drive the change needed to address them effectively.

The writer is an Islamabad based journalist and research and media trainer. He can be reached at aounsahi@gmail.com