ISLAMABAD: Improving oversight of private employment agencies and advancing fair recruitment practices emerged as critical priorities for improving labour migration governance in Pakistan at a national workshop that debated ILO Convention 181 on general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment.
The workshop held in Islamabad on Thursday, convened by ILO in collaboration with the ministry of overseas Pakistanis and human resource development, enabled stakeholders to identify key regulatory and institutional gaps and build momentum for reforms aligned with international labour standards and national priorities.
Pakistan is one of South Asia’s major labour-sending countries, and according to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, more than 727,000 Pakistani workers migrated abroad in 2024, primarily to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Since 1971, over 10 million Pakistanis have accessed overseas employment through formal channels, generating billions of dollars in remittances that support economic stability and household resilience.
At the same time, labour mobility within Pakistan is extensive, with millions of workers moving across provinces each year through private employment agencies and labour contractors.
While these intermediaries play an important role in connecting workers to jobs, weak regulation and uneven oversight expose workers to risks such as excessive recruitment fees, misinformation and unequal treatment, underscoring the need for a more coherent recruitment governance framework across both domestic and international labour markets.
ILO Country Director in Pakistan, Geir Tonstol noted that “ILO Convention-181, together with the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment, offers practical tools to strengthen worker protection, promote transparency, and improve accountability of recruitment intermediaries across labour markets.”
GIZ Country Director, Maria-Jose Poddey said that “promoting safe and regular migration remains a shared priority. Germany and the European Union are committed to supporting Pakistan in strengthening regular pathways that are transparent, skills-oriented, and grounded in mutual benefit.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026
