Islamabad (TDI): Italy has opened a rare legal pathway for Pakistani workers to Europe by allocating a quota of 10,500 jobs over the next three years, a move officials say could help curb illegal migration and provide regulated employment opportunities abroad.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be sent to Italy annually under both seasonal and non-seasonal employment schemes, according to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
Of the yearly quota, 1,500 workers will be hired for seasonal jobs, while 2,000 will be placed in non-seasonal positions, The Express Tribune reported.
Officials said Italy has become the first European country to formally open its labour market to Pakistan through a quota-based mechanism, a development that could pave the way for similar agreements with other EU states.
The move comes amid a sharp rise in outward migration from Pakistan. Nearly 2.9 million Pakistanis left the country over the past three years, driven by low wages, high inflation, unemployment, and rising education costs.
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According to the Economic Survey 2024–25, more than one million Pakistanis went abroad for work in a single fiscal year, highlighting the country’s growing dependence on overseas employment and remittances.
Authorities say the Italian quota provides a legal and structured alternative to irregular migration, which has surged in recent years. Illegal migration to Europe increased by 280% in 2022, with many Pakistanis attempting perilous journeys through Libya, Egypt, and other transit routes.
Many migrants fall prey to human smugglers and face detention, deportation, or death while crossing the Mediterranean, officials noted.
Italy has earmarked positions for Pakistani workers in shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare, and agriculture, including welders, technicians, chefs, waiters, housekeeping staff, nurses, medical technicians, farm workers, and agricultural labourers.
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The program focuses on skilled and semi-skilled labour, aligning Pakistan’s workforce with Italy’s labour shortages. Punjab, Pakistan’s largest source of overseas labour, is expected to benefit the most, having sent more than 7.2 million emigrants since 1981, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the quota was secured through sustained diplomatic engagement, including a special request to Italian authorities.
Calling the agreement a “major milestone,” he said it opened new doors for Pakistani workers in the European labour market, adding that overseas Pakistanis remain “the backbone of the national economy.”
Officials said momentum is expected to continue, with the second meeting of the Pakistan–Italy Joint Working Group scheduled for February 2026 in Islamabad, where implementation and possible expansion of the quota will be discussed.
For a country that has seen more than 13.8 million people emigrate since 1981, Italy’s move signals a potential shift from risky, illegal routes to legal, skills-based migration backed by the state.
