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Immigration to Pakistan
Immigration to Pakistan is the legal entry and settlement of foreign nationals in Pakistan. Immigration policy is overseen by the Interior Minister of Pakistan through the Directorate General Passports. Most immigrants are not eligible for citizenship or permanent residency, unless they are married to a Pakistani citizen or a Commonwealth citizen who has invested a minimum of PKR 5 million in the local economy.
Based on the United Nations report World Population Policies 2005, the total immigrant population in Pakistan was estimated to be 3,254,000, representing 2.1% of the national population, and ranked 13th in the world. According to the United Nations report International Migration Profiles 2002, the population of immigrants in Pakistan was little over 1 million in 1990 and around 1.4 million in 2000.
Pakistan regulates immigration through a combination of federal institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
In 2019, the government launched an online visa portal to simplify the application process for foreign nationals. E-immigration counters have also been installed at major airports, including Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, to improve monitoring and facilitate legal entry.
NADRA is responsible for registering foreigners, issuing identity cards to legal immigrants, and documenting refugees under agreements with the UNHCR. Policy changes, including visa restrictions and registration requirements, are often tied to security concerns and Pakistan’s foreign relations.
As of 2009, an estimated 2.1% of the population of Pakistan had foreign origins. However, the number of immigrants in Pakistan recently grew sharply. Immigrants from South Asia make up a growing proportion of immigrants in Pakistan. The largest group of immigrants in Pakistan is Bangladeshi, followed by Afghan, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Indian, Sri Lankan, Burmese and Briton. Other expatriate communities in Pakistan are Chechens, Filipinos, Turks, Persian, Chinese, Americans, previously Bosnian refugees, and many others. Migrants from different countries of Arab World, especially Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen, are in the thousands. Nearly all illegal migrants in Pakistan are Muslim refugees and they are either accepted or ignored by the local population. There is no political support or legislation to deport these refugees from Pakistan.
Sheikh Muhammad Feroze, the chairman of the Pakistani Bengali Action Committee, claimed that there were 200 settlements of Bengali-speaking people in Pakistan, of which 132 are in Karachi. They are found in various areas of Pakistan such as Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Tando Adam and Lahore.
Experts say that the migration of both Bengalis and Burmese (Rohingya) to Pakistan started in the 1980s and continued until 1998. Large scale Rohingya migration to Karachi made Karachi one of the largest population centres of Rohingyas in the world after Myanmar. The Burmese community of Karachi is spread out over 60 slums in Karachi such as the Burmi Colony in Korangi, Arakanabad, Machchar colony, Bilal colony, Ziaul Haq Colony and Godhra Camp.
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Immigration to Pakistan
Immigration to Pakistan is the legal entry and settlement of foreign nationals in Pakistan. Immigration policy is overseen by the Interior Minister of Pakistan through the Directorate General Passports. Most immigrants are not eligible for citizenship or permanent residency, unless they are married to a Pakistani citizen or a Commonwealth citizen who has invested a minimum of PKR 5 million in the local economy.
Based on the United Nations report World Population Policies 2005, the total immigrant population in Pakistan was estimated to be 3,254,000, representing 2.1% of the national population, and ranked 13th in the world. According to the United Nations report International Migration Profiles 2002, the population of immigrants in Pakistan was little over 1 million in 1990 and around 1.4 million in 2000.
Pakistan regulates immigration through a combination of federal institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
In 2019, the government launched an online visa portal to simplify the application process for foreign nationals. E-immigration counters have also been installed at major airports, including Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, to improve monitoring and facilitate legal entry.
NADRA is responsible for registering foreigners, issuing identity cards to legal immigrants, and documenting refugees under agreements with the UNHCR. Policy changes, including visa restrictions and registration requirements, are often tied to security concerns and Pakistan’s foreign relations.
As of 2009, an estimated 2.1% of the population of Pakistan had foreign origins. However, the number of immigrants in Pakistan recently grew sharply. Immigrants from South Asia make up a growing proportion of immigrants in Pakistan. The largest group of immigrants in Pakistan is Bangladeshi, followed by Afghan, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen, Indian, Sri Lankan, Burmese and Briton. Other expatriate communities in Pakistan are Chechens, Filipinos, Turks, Persian, Chinese, Americans, previously Bosnian refugees, and many others. Migrants from different countries of Arab World, especially Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen, are in the thousands. Nearly all illegal migrants in Pakistan are Muslim refugees and they are either accepted or ignored by the local population. There is no political support or legislation to deport these refugees from Pakistan.
Sheikh Muhammad Feroze, the chairman of the Pakistani Bengali Action Committee, claimed that there were 200 settlements of Bengali-speaking people in Pakistan, of which 132 are in Karachi. They are found in various areas of Pakistan such as Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Tando Adam and Lahore.
Experts say that the migration of both Bengalis and Burmese (Rohingya) to Pakistan started in the 1980s and continued until 1998. Large scale Rohingya migration to Karachi made Karachi one of the largest population centres of Rohingyas in the world after Myanmar. The Burmese community of Karachi is spread out over 60 slums in Karachi such as the Burmi Colony in Korangi, Arakanabad, Machchar colony, Bilal colony, Ziaul Haq Colony and Godhra Camp.