There are 6,012 migrants from Pakistan in Libya. Pakistan is the 10th most-represented nationality in Libya — one per cent of migrants are Pakistani. The majority of Pakistani migrants surveyed by DTM Libya between January 2022 and February 2024 were male, married and aged between 20 and 39. More than half of Pakistani nationals interviewed in Libya stated having been unemployed when they left their home country. In Libya, the majority of Pakistanis were employed, working mainly as electricians, or technicians in the construction, manufacturing or IT sectors.
RECENT MIGRATION DYNAMICS
The number of migrants in Libya — including those from Pakistan — has increased between 2021 and 2024 (Fig 1 and 2). In line with DTM findings, according to the Pakistani Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, globally, the number of Pakistanis who left their country of origin in search of employment abroad has been on the rise since 2020. The majority of Pakistani nationals interviewed by DTM Libya (87%) reported having left their home country primarily because of economic reasons — 61 per cent were unemployed and actively seeking employment when they left Pakistan. The recent increase in the number of Pakistanis in Libya is likely related to a range of factors, including the recent challenges that Pakistan has faced such as economic instability, political uncertainty, high inflation, soaring unemployment and poverty levels in combination with the lingering impact of the devastating 2022 floods.