ISLAMABAD — In a sobering sign of national disillusionment, over 135,000 Pakistanis have sought political asylum in Europe and the United States in just the past two years, driven by a storm of political instability, economic collapse, soaring electricity bills, and mounting unemployment, as reported by the Express Tribune.
The data was revealed during a Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada. The Director General of Passports informed lawmakers that 125,000 asylum applications were filed across Europe, while more than 10,000 were submitted in the United States.
This unprecedented wave of migration reflects a nation in crisis. With inflation at record highs and political leadership mired in chaos, thousands of Pakistanis—many young and educated—are seeking a future far from home, often risking everything in the process.
The committee also heard that over 52,000 Pakistanis were deported from various countries in the same period. Iran alone repatriated 34,000 Pakistanis attempting to enter illegally. Saudi Arabia deported 5,000 Pakistani citizens, many of whom were allegedly engaged in street begging—an indictment of the desperation pushing citizens abroad.
In a further blow, Saudi Arabia has slashed its work visa quotas for Pakistanis and tightened entry criteria. Several other nations, including the UAE, Italy, and the UK, have suspended student visa programs for Pakistan due to growing concerns over documentation fraud and illegal overstays.
Officials disclosed that deportations are increasingly being fast-tracked under the Passport Act, bypassing courts and resulting in immediate repatriation. Many deportees have had their passports blocked, especially those linked to criminal or fraudulent activity abroad.
Despite the grim statistics, over 10 million Pakistanis still work overseas legally, providing essential remittances that prop up Pakistan’s faltering economy.
But for many, the search for dignity, opportunity, and safety now lies beyond the nation’s borders. As economic pressures mount and political uncertainty deepens, the Pakistani dream is increasingly being rewritten—not at home, but in exile.
