According to the studies of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), about 28,000 Pakistanis applied for international protection between October 2022 and October 2023 in EU Plus countries. However, there has been a descending trend in recent months, with applications peaking at 3,400 in October 2022 and then gradually dropping to 1,900 again by October 2023.
Among the EU Plus nations, Italy appears to be the favorite among Pakistani asylum seekers, followed closely by France, Greece, and Germany. The “Country Focus on Pakistan Report” states that EU Plus countries issued close to 20,000 first-instance decisions on Pakistani applications, with only 12 percent leading to granted refugee status or subsidiary protection. As of the end of October, around 34,000 decisions remain under process.
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It contains a political and security situation in Pakistan, the different actors, and the judiciary, and then the treatment of certain population groups including Afghan refugees. It is also counted in the list of nations that have a maximum extent of vulnerability to modern slavery where approximately 2.4 million people have been forced into forced labor or forced marriage. Pakistan carries the status of major international human trafficking routes, including the inhuman trade of human organs.
Although laws are on the books for human trafficking, Pakistan is a fragile democracy and not really accountable, so things are quite difficult to enforce. A recent survey also found that some 40 percent of the total population wanted to leave Pakistan for Europe or the Middle East. In 2023, 45,687 qualified persons tried to find a job abroad, an increase of 119% from 2022. It is estimated that almost 1 million skilled workers have migrated out of Pakistan in the past three years.