By Tahseen Ullah Imagine a young Pakistani sitting in a village in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Sindh, scrolling through his phone. He sees an attractive job offer for Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE—or even an IT position in Southeast Asia. The salary is impressive, accommodation is promised and the visa will supposedly be arranged within weeks. A WhatsApp number is provided, and someone in his community has already shared the opportunity. He has ambition, perhaps a degree or technical skills. What he may not have is reliable information. This information gap can turn an aspiration for overseas employment into financial loss, irregular migration, exploitation, human smuggling or even trafficking. For Pakistan, this is an increasingly important challenge. Overseas employment is a lifeline for millions of Pakistani families, supporting children’s education, access to healthcare, improved living standards and household economic security, while remittances make a vital contribution to the national economy. At the same time, rapidly changing global labour markets are creating new opportunities beyond traditional destinations. Yet, as these opportunities grow, so do the risks of fraudulent recruitment, misinformation, disinformation, human smuggling and trafficking. Ensuring that Pakistanis can access authentic and accurate information, guidance, verify employment opportunities and make informed decisions is therefore essential to turning migration aspirations into safe and dignified and productive employment opportunities. A fake job advertisement, misleading social media post or fraudulent agent can create a false impression of employment and migration opportunities. Misinformation may be shared unknowingly, while disinformation is deliberately designed to deceive. For prospective migrants, however, the consequences can be equally serious. The risks are particularly concerning for young, educated, and IT skilled Pakistanis. In parts of Southeast Asia, deceptive job advertisements and promises of visit visas that are later claimed to be convertible into work visas have reportedly been used to lure individuals into situations involving human trafficking for forced criminality, where victims may be coerced into participating in online scams and other criminal activities. What initially appears to be a lucrative employment opportunity can therefore become a pathway to exploitation, coercion and serious harm. In the migration journey, information is not just knowledge, it is protection. Before accepting any overseas opportunity, prospective migrants should ask: Is the employer genuine? Is the recruiter authorised? Is the visa appropriate for the job? Is there a written employment contract? Are the salary and working conditions clear? What are the actual costs? Most importantly, where can this information be verified? The principle should be simple: check before you trust, verify before you pay and consult before you travel. To make an informed decision, prospective and intending migrants should first verify job offers and recruitment arrangements from the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment and its field offices, the Protectorates of Emigrants, while seeking information, guidance and referral from Government departments, Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) Pakistan and other recognised migration information and counselling services before paying, signing or travelling. These sources can help migrants understand legal/ regular migration pathways, recruitment procedures, employment contracts, workers’ rights and available complaint mechanisms. Before making a migration decision, understand the process and seek guidance. Consult relevant sources before paying an agent, signing documents or travelling—a few minutes of verification can prevent years of financial and personal consequences. However, information alone is not enough. Safe migration also requires quality skills, reskilling and upskilling. International labour markets increasingly demand technical competencies, language skills, digital literacy and recognised qualifications. TVET institutions and universities should therefore align training with genuine labour-market demand and equip young people with both occupational and migration-related knowledge. A skilled worker who cannot identify a fraudulent opportunity remains vulnerable. Conversely, reliable information without relevant skills can leave genuine opportunities beyond reach. Skills and information must therefore go together. A comprehensive approach to migration must move beyond simply facilitating departure. Safe migration requires informed preparation before departure, protection during employment and support upon return, supported by strong coordination among government institutions, international organization, civil society organizations, Pakistani missions abroad, bilateral agreements with destination countries, training providers, employers, recruiters, universities, and migration information and counselling services. The message to young Pakistanis should be clear: Do not migrate on the basis of a social media post, WhatsApp message or an agent’s promise. Seek information, consult the relevant authorities, verify the opportunity, acquire the required skills and follow the legal and regular migration pathway. Migration should be a pathway to opportunity—not a pathway to exploitation. In today’s information environment, knowing where to seek information, whom to consult and what to verify before migration may be as important as the skills required for the job itself. Safe migration begins long before the airport. It begins with an informed decision. Tahseen Ullah is a development and migration sector practitioner specialising in migration management, education and child protection. He can be reached at tahseenanthro@gmail.com. LinkedIn: Tahseen Ullah The views expressed are his own and do not reflect the views of his employer or any affiliated organisation.
