Illegal attempts to cross Belarus-Poland border: Pakistanis among top eight nationalities involved

ISLAMABAD: Amid ongoing confusion surrounding the Pakistan-Belarus jobs agreement, new data from Eastern Europe paints a worrying picture.

Between January 1 and June 22 this year, nearly 14,000 illegal border-crossing attempts were recorded at the Belarus-Poland border, with Pakistani nationals among the top eight nationalities involved.

These developments come in stark contrast to the optimism generated during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Belarus in April, where a bilateral agreement was signed, promising over 150,000 employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani workers in various sectors, including IT, healthcare, construction, and engineering.

However, nearly two months later, the agreement remains largely unimplemented, revealed an official on Friday. The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) has not issued formal guidelines nor initiated any coordination with Belarusian authorities or certified recruiting agencies. No feasibility report or cost-benefit analysis has been made public to evaluate the viability, risks, or logistical aspects of deploying such a large workforce abroad, the official added.

Meanwhile, the absence of structured legal pathways for employment abroad may be pushing desperate individuals to seek dangerous alternatives. Polish authorities have already detained over 150 people this year for assisting illegal border crossings, highlighting growing regional security and human trafficking concerns.

While the offer of overseas employment has generated significant interest, economic experts warn that the agreement might be overly ambitious, given Belarus’s struggling economy. Still reeling from international sanctions, Belarus has experienced stagnant growth and persistent inflation.

The country’s average monthly salary stands at around $670–$700, significantly higher than Pakistan’s average of roughly $150–$170. Moreover, Belarus’s minimum wage is approximately $200, while Pakistan’s current minimum wage ranges between PKR 32,000 and 37,000 (roughly $110–$125).

In this context, the proposed minimum salary of $1,100 for Pakistani workers seems disproportionately high and raises serious questions about the Belarusian job market’s ability to accommodate and sustain such a large influx of foreign workers under those terms.

Despite the scale and fanfare of the announcement, the official highlighted the Pakistani government has not released any feasibility study or cost-benefit analysis.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025