Rebuilding Lives, Repairing Reputations: Why Pakistan Must Reskill Its Deportees?
Posted 3 months ago
News in the national media revealed an alarming statistic that over 58,000 Pakistanis have been deported from foreign countries since 2023. Moreover, it is presumed that thousands more are applying for asylum in Europe, fleeing poverty, exploitation, and the gnawing despair of limited futures.
The truth is, most of them come home with little more than shame and a soured dream. There are no national frameworks to help them reintegrate, no meaningful efforts to retrain or reskill them, and certainly no plan to channel their ambitions into productive futures. It's a silent tragedy but one that demands systemic and compassionate reform.
The Need for National Reskilling
Like several other nations, Pakistan is also a country grappling with youth unemployment and economic fragility and cannot afford to ignore this cohort. Deportees are not just a symptom of poverty; they are a pool of potential. Trained, empowered, and redirected, they could be the very workforce needed to fill skills gaps both at home and abroad.
It's time for a national deportee reintegration strategy built not on stigma but on skill. This would include:
- Skills Mapping and Assessment: Upon return, deportees should undergo a formal assessment to identify any existing skills, training, or interests they may have. Many possess informal competencies – such as those in construction, caregiving, mechanics, or hospitality – that can be certified and upgraded.
- Fast-Track Reskilling Centres: Specialized programs tailored to deportees must be developed in collaboration with institutions such as the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and the National Skills University. Short courses in digital skills, health care, green energy, and logistics could open new doors both domestically and abroad.
- Microfinance and Entrepreneurship Support: With modest seed funding and business training, many deportees can start microenterprises. Reskilling should not be limited to factory lines alone; it must also include the tools necessary for self-employment, especially in rural and peri-urban economies.
- Psychosocial Support and Reintegration: Deportees often return with the trauma of detention, exploitation, or failed dreams. Counseling services, peer networks, and community inclusion programs can play a key role in preventing isolation and relapse into irregular migration.
Learning from Other Nations
Other countries facing similar crises have begun to act. The Philippines, for instance, operates the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which not only aids distressed workers abroad but also offers reintegration loans, training, and livelihood support on return.
Bangladesh has similarly developed the Probashi Kallyan Bank, which funds reintegration programs and supports returning migrants through low-interest loans and vocational training.
Pakistan need not start from scratch; it simply needs to prioritize.
