Making migration accessible

Migration "should be a choice and not a necessity," said the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Pakistan's Chief of Mission Mio Sato at a recent launch of the Pakistan Migration Report 2025. This expression succinctly encapsulates almost all facets of Pakistan's migration problem. The country has left its masses to fend for themselves, while they remain burdened under rising inflation, bleak job prospects and uncertain futures. Under such circumstances, migration becomes a compulsion, one that drives people towards dangerous routes that risk both their lives and the country's reputation.

Pakistan's excessive outflow of illegal migrants has garnered enough international concern for IOM to urge the country to - essentially - sort itself out. The proposed solutions are fairly simple: establish structured pathways for migration, empower the people by offering them skill development opportunities and ease their access to formal financial services. The important thing to note here, which perhaps Pakistan chooses to turn a blind eye to, is that without lasting social, political and economic stability, migration is bound to happen. Therefore, making it safe and accessible is a necessary policy. But the pleasant catch is this: while legal pathways make migration safer, skill development and financial inclusion reduce the pressures that force people to leave in the first place.

Restricting migration does not inadvertently reduce its demand. Instead, it increases the demand for illegal routes. While on the other hand, offering citizens structural and opportunity-based exits reduce their desperation to leave. These exits, including financial assistance and skills-based training, make migration accessible for the poor but also create opportunities for them at home, where they can build livelihoods without the need to rely on risky international routes. Making migration accessible is the only effective migration policy that does both: makes it safe and makes it optional.