Belarus welcomes up to 150,000 Pakistanis

(MENAFN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that his country will soon welcome between 100,000 and 150,000 skilled workers from Pakistan. The plan was revealed following a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Minsk on Friday.

Lukashenko said the two leaders agreed that Pakistani specialists would be deployed to Belarus across various sectors chosen by Minsk. He emphasized that Belarus is ready to host and provide suitable working conditions for the incoming workforce.

Sharif assured that the migrants sent to Belarus would be highly trained and capable of contributing significantly. Describing the workers as skilled and dedicated, he expressed confidence that they would help strengthen ties between the two nations. Sharif also thanked Lukashenko for the invitation, calling the gesture personally meaningful.

In 2024, Belarus employed just over 60,000 foreign workers, about 40% of whom were Russian, according to Deputy Trade Minister Tatyana Astreiko. She noted that the country’s limited domestic labor pool made hiring foreign workers essential.

Meanwhile, Belarus has faced criticism from Poland and the EU over a surge in illegal border crossings, with Warsaw accusing Minsk of encouraging asylum seekers—mainly from the Middle East and North Africa—to cross into Poland on instructions from Russian intelligence. Both Russia and Belarus deny the allegations.

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