Pakistanis lodged 28,000 applications for international protection in European Union (EU) Plus countries from October 2023 to October 2024. The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published a new Country Focus on Pakistan, a Country-of-Origin Information report.
According to a report, European Union countries issued around 20,000 first-instance decisions on these applications, with only 12% of applicants granted refugee status or subsidiary protection.
The report noted a decline in monthly applications, which peaked at 3,400 in October 2023 but dropped to 1,900 in October 2024. As of the end of October, nearly 34,000 applications from Pakistan remained pending.
As per the report, Italy was the primary destination for Pakistani asylum seekers, followed by France, Greece, and Germany.
Pakistan’s economy struggled in 2023, with rising poverty, inflation, and unemployment, all of which have been worsened by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) austerity measures.
The EUAA report highlighted severe human rights challenges in Pakistan, including modern slavery and human trafficking. An estimated 2.4 million people in the country are victims of forced labour or forced marriage, placing Pakistan among the most vulnerable nations in the region.
Bonded labour remains a significant issue, with between three million and 4.5 million individuals trapped in debt bondage, often tied to exploitative loan systems. Despite anti-trafficking laws, weak enforcement, corruption, and complicity of state officials have created an environment of impunity.
The report also flagged Pakistan as a key route for human trafficking, including organ trade. While the government has made efforts to combat trafficking, these have fallen short of minimum international standards.
