Improving oversight of private employment agencies and promoting fair recruitment practices have emerged as key priorities for strengthening labour migration governance in Pakistan, participants emphasized at a high-level national workshop focused on ILO Convention No. 181.
The workshop was convened by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) and brought together government officials, employers’ representatives, workers’ organizations and development partners. The discussions aimed to identify regulatory and institutional gaps in Pakistan’s recruitment systems and to build momentum for reforms aligned with international labour standards and national development priorities.
Pakistan’s Labour Migration at a Crossroads
Pakistan remains one of South Asia’s largest labour-sending countries. According to data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), more than 727,000 Pakistani workers migrated abroad in 2024, mainly to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Since 1971, over 10 million Pakistanis have accessed overseas employment through formal channels, generating billions of dollars in remittances that play a crucial role in economic stability, foreign exchange reserves, and household resilience.
Alongside international migration, labour mobility within Pakistan is also extensive. Millions of workers move across provinces each year through private employment agencies and labour contractors. While these intermediaries help connect workers with job opportunities, weak regulation and uneven oversight have exposed workers to serious risks, including excessive recruitment fees, misinformation, contract substitution, and unequal treatment. Experts at the workshop stressed that these challenges underscore the urgent need for a coherent and transparent recruitment governance framework covering both domestic and overseas labour markets.
ILO Convention No. 181 and Fair Recruitment
Addressing the workshop, Geir Tonstol, Country Director of the ILO in Pakistan, highlighted the relevance of ILO Convention No. 181 on Private Employment Agencies.
“ILO Convention No. 181, together with the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment, offers practical tools to strengthen worker protection, promote transparency, and improve accountability of recruitment intermediaries across labour markets,” he said.
Convention No. 181 (C181) is a comprehensive international labour standard adopted by the International Labour Conference. It establishes clear rules for the registration, licensing and regulation of private employment agencies, while ensuring the protection of workers who rely on their services. The Convention is designed to balance the role of private recruiters with strong safeguards against exploitation and abuse.
EU and Germany Support Migration Reforms
The workshop was organized under the ILO project “Enhancing Partners’ Capacity on Decent Work and International Labour Standards for Labour Migration from Pakistan”, implemented within the framework of Centres for Migration and Development (ZME) Pakistan. The initiative is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU).
Maria-José Poddey, Country Director of GIZ Pakistan, reaffirmed the long-term commitment of Germany and the EU to support Pakistan’s migration reforms.
“Promoting safe and regular migration remains a shared priority. Germany and the European Union are committed to supporting Pakistan in strengthening regular pathways that are transparent, skills-oriented, and grounded in mutual benefit,” she said. “This workshop is not a standalone event; it is part of a broader mission to strengthen migration governance and align Pakistan’s systems with international labour standards.”
Government Signals Openness to Reform
From the government’s side, Sohail Khwaja, Joint Secretary Emigration at MOPHRD, described the workshop as a critical starting point for broader consultations on recruitment reforms.
“ILO Convention No. 181 provides an internationally recognized framework to regulate recruitment and placement services across sectors and labour markets,” he noted. “While ratification of an ILO convention is a sovereign national decision, this workshop marks an important first step in examining the Convention’s provisions, assessing regulatory gaps, and exploring its relevance within Pakistan’s governance context.”
His remarks signaled growing openness within Pakistan’s policy circles to align national recruitment systems with global best practices.
Toward Decent Work and Safer Migration
The workshop marked the first phase of a broader ILO-led advocacy initiative, supported by German Development Cooperation and the European Union under the GIZ ZME programme, aimed at strengthening institutional capacity on decent work, fair recruitment and labour migration governance in Pakistan.
Participants agreed that improving oversight of private employment agencies is not only essential for protecting workers’ rights but also for enhancing Pakistan’s international credibility as a responsible labour-sending country. Stronger recruitment governance, they argued, would help reduce exploitation, improve skills matching, and ensure that labour migration contributes more effectively to sustainable development.
As Pakistan continues to send hundreds of thousands of workers abroad each year, experts believe that aligning national systems with ILO Convention No. 181 could be a decisive step toward safer, fairer and more transparent labour migration—both at home and overseas.
