Day laborer Shan Sohail from Islamabad is very keen on finding a job abroad. When the 30-year-old learned there was a possibility of working in Belarus, he contacted several labor agents in hopes of applying for a job in construction.

"I want to go abroad for better income and a better future," he told DW. 

However, Shan says he still has no idea how to start the process and where to send his job application.

Lukashenko wants up to 150,000 'specialists' from Pakistan

Pakistan, with its population of over 250 million, has suffered years of economic crisis.

Statistics indicate that over 30% university graduates are unemployed. And Belarus — despite being one of Europe poorest nations — needs workers.

Its population is under 9 million and shrinking, with hundreds of thousands leaving the country since the 2020 protests against the regime of Alexandar Lukashenko.

Belarusian authorities first announced they would be inviting Pakistani workers in April 2025, when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Minsk.

After meeting with Sharif, Belarusian leader Lukashenko told the press that Pakistan will be sending over "100,000, maybe 125,000 or 150,000 specialists."

"We made a deal with my friend, the prime minister of Pakistan, that specialists from various sectors will be sent in the near future," he said. "It will be the sectors we ask for, and the authorities in Pakistan will help us select such people."

In August, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the plans to send thousands of Pakistanis to work in Belarus after meeting his Belarusian counterpart in Islamabad.

Pakistanis already arriving in Belarus

The program for employing Pakistanis in Belarus is already in effect, though not yet on the scale announced by Lukashenko. Belarus hopes to get qualified workers for its manufacturing, construction and technology sectors.

"Labor is selected based on the criteria set by the requesting country," an official in the Pakistani Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development told DW.

As of May 2025, about 200 Pakistani workers were employed in Belarus.

"Generally, when any foreign government requests labor, the Ministry manages the process," the official said.

What makes Belarus desirable for foreign workers?

For Pakistan, sending its citizens to work abroad is a strategic decision. Despite the risk of brain drain, the scheme could benefit the South Asian country by cutting down on youth unemployment and increasing the volume of remittances from abroad.

And with the average salary in Pakistan below $300 (€255) a month — although income varies widely based on qualifications, jobs and location — there are plenty of workers eager to leave.

While Belarus is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe, average salaries are much higher than those in Pakistan.

In July, they were at around $800 per month. Of course, a foreign worker would need to rent accommodation and possibly pay for on-site training, but would still earn more than the majority of qualified employees in Pakistan.

In the eyes of Pakistanis, however, the main advantage of Belarus is not financial — it's the country's location.

"Given the increasing joblessness and ever-increasing inflation in Pakistan, many individuals are naturally seeking better opportunities abroad. For them, the availability of both low-skilled and skilled worker visas in a European country is a significant draw," Azeem Khalid, an international affairs expert, told DW.

"There's a widespread perception in Pakistan that working in Europe can lead to better earnings and an improved quality of life, so it's pretty much expected that people will be interested," he added.

Are jobs in Europe being sold off? 

With this interest, however, there are also concerns that the job vacancies in Belarus are distributed on basis of nepotism or corruption. Pakistani lawyers specializing in immigration warn that overseas jobs are often "sold" to licensed labor agents.

"These agents then resell work contracts to people desperate to leave," immigration lawyer Osama Malik told DW. 

According to Malik, this practice sometimes leads to Pakistani workers not meeting the standard expected by the host country.

"For example, there have even been instances where Pakistani medical graduates failed to pass the medical practice exams in other countries, despite multiple attempts," he said.

In Malik's opinion, the Pakistani government should ensure that labor contracts are not sold and that only the most qualified specialists are selected.

"If necessary, additional training should be provided before sending workers to Belarus. Furthermore, the diplomas and academic credentials of all selected candidates must be thoroughly verified," the lawyer said.

From the Pakistani frying pan into the Belarus fire

Belarus is a country in a permanent political crisis; it is under sanctions due to its involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine and due to human rights violations committed by the Lukashenko regime.

The news that Pakistani workers will be sent there has raised concerns among migration experts, law enforcement agencies, and human rights activists. 

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) warned that a wave of migration could trigger serious difficulties not only for the migrants themselves but also for their families and communities back home.

"We need to be prepared for another crisis of illegal migration in the wake of a mass exodus to Belarus," said a senior FIA official.

Will Pakistani workers flee into the EU?

Meanwhile, others warn that Pakistani workers in Belarus, which is not a part of the European Union, might attempt to make their way west into the bloc and towards richer EU nations.

In recent years, Poland and other EU nations have repeatedly accused Minsk of sending migrants across the border to destabilize the bloc and using them as a tool in what the West describes as "hybrid warfare" by Russia and Belarus.

"It's a sad reality that some individuals may try to use this as a stepping stone to other destinations in Europe," says international affairs expert Azeem Khalid.

"And I think this will be another reason why Pakistani youth will eagerly accept the opportunity to work in Belarus. Therefore, it's crucial for both Belarus and Pakistani authorities to implement a well-structured process. They should ensure that those selected are genuinely looking for legitimate work opportunities, thus minimizing any misuse of the program."

So far, no such guarantees have been made public. 

This article was originally published in Russian.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn