LAHORE: Countries of origin and destination must work more closely to ensure migration is humane, orderly and sustainable, Lahore School of Economics Rector Dr Shahid Amjad Chaudhry said on Tuesday, urging Pakistan to diversify its economy and expand high-value services to create jobs at home.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day conference titled “Future Drivers of International Migration from Asia,” Dr Chaudhry said Pakistan should prioritise education, healthcare and information technology to boost employment and productivity.
The event, the fourth international conference organised by the school’s Centre on International Migration, Remittances and Diaspora (CIMRAD), has drawn scholars and policy specialists from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
CIMRAD Coordinator Dr Nasra M. Shah told the gathering that 83 percent of the world’s population lives in the country of origin, while 13 per cent move within their own countries and just 3.7 per cent cross international borders. She pointed to the rising importance of international student mobility, South to North migration and remittances, and noted that migration is recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals, unlike the earlier Millennium Development Goals.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Anna Triandafyllidou of Toronto Metropolitan University, who holds the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration, described migration as increasingly complex and non-linear. She said social, economic, political and technological changes are reshaping people’s aspirations and decisions, and called for governance approaches that account for differing levels of individual agency, opportunity and constraint.
In the first academic session, chaired by Dr Rashid Amjad, Director of the Graduate Institute of Development Studies, speakers examined how changing geopolitical and economic conditions will affect labour migration, remittances, migrant families and domestic labour markets.
Dr Richa Shivakoti said Nepal remains heavily reliant on labour migration, with remittances making up about 33 per cent of GDP. She cited unemployment, political and economic uncertainty, climate-related disasters and a growing culture of migration among youth as key drivers.
Dr Maruja M.B. Asis said limited decent jobs at home and steady overseas demand for workers underpin Philippine migration. She noted the feminisation and diversification of labour migration, and identified population ageing, falling fertility rates and digitalisation as factors likely to shape future flows.
On Pakistan, Dr G.M. Arif said traditional migration to Gulf Cooperation Council countries continues even as skilled migration to Western countries rises. He listed economic instability and government policies promoting overseas employment and remittances as major drivers, while flagging persistent skills mismatches and the effects of geopolitical conflicts.
Discussant Dr Naved Hamid called for a more forward-looking assessment of global skills requirements and the development priorities of sending and receiving countries. He said migration pressure in countries like Pakistan and Nepal is likely to stay high because of demographic change and limited domestic opportunities.
The first day’s discussions highlighted the interlinked economic, demographic, political, social and technological forces behind Asian migration, with participants calling for forward-looking policies, stronger international cooperation and better economic opportunities at home.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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