Pakistan launches National Emigration and Welfare Policy 2026

Pakistan has launched the National Immigration and Welfare Policy 2026, aimed at improving labor migration, strengthening protections for over 12 million overseas Pakistanis workers, and expanding skills development to meet changing global labor market demands.

The National Immigration and Welfare Policy 2026 was unveiled by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Chaudhry Salik Hussain described the policy as a historic milestone in Pakistan’s migration governance framework and a reflection of the government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights, welfare and aspirations of every Pakistani seeking opportunities abroad.

He said the policy is designed to place overseas Pakistanis at the center of national development by ensuring safe and orderly migration, expanding access to globally relevant skills, protecting workers from exploitation, strengthening engagement with the diaspora and facilitating the dignified reintegration of returning migrants.

Chaudhry Salik Hussain said overseas Pakistanis had made a significant contribution to the country’s economy, noting that remittances exceeded $41bn during the last fiscal year. He described expatriate Pakistanis as the country’s most effective ambassadors and said their welfare remained a government priority.

The minister noted that rapid technological advances, demographic shifts and evolving global labor market demands were reshaping economies across the world.

In this increasingly competitive environment, he said, Pakistan must proactively prepare its workforce to seize emerging opportunities and position itself as a leading supplier of skilled human capital.

He emphasized that the policy integrates the efforts of government institutions, training providers, employers, development partners and the private sector under a unified national vision to ensure that every migrant worker receives support at every stage of the migration cycle.

Concluding his address, Chaudhry Salik Hussain said migration must never be associated with uncertainty or vulnerability. Instead, it should represent a pathway to opportunity, dignity and national progress.

He called for collective efforts to build a future where every Pakistani pursuing opportunity abroad travels with confidence, works with pride and remains permanently connected to a nation that recognizes and values their contributions.