Belarus opens doors to Pakistani workers amid border tensions
Lithuanian media warn that Alexander Lukashenko's invitation of 150,000 migrant workers could result in a new iteration of the crisis at Belarus's borders with EU countries. Lukashenko hopes to attract "workers, farmers, intellectuals" from Pakistan.
President Alexander Lukashenko and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have agreed to develop a mechanism to facilitate labor migration, reports the state news agency BelTA.
"Such a proposal raises concerns in neighboring Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. In 2021–2022, the Belarusian regime incited a migration crisis at the borders of the EU and NATO nations, directing migrants towards EU countries," comments the Lithuanian portal LRT about the news from Belarus.
According to Belarusian oppositionist Alexander Azarau, it's too soon to determine whether inviting thousands of Pakistanis will trigger a new wave of the migration crisis. - In fact, Belarus has a shortage of workers because many people left after the fraudulent elections in 2020 and due to repression. Skilled workers are needed, but probably not from Pakistan - he doubts.
Azarau is a former officer of Belarusian police services, now an oppositionist operating in Poland. He has repeatedly warned about the regime's involvement in orchestrating human smuggling via the migration route.
Belarus invites 150,000 migrant workers
– We have agreed to do our utmost to make sure that our Pakistani friends, workers, farmers, intellectuals and everyone who wishes to work in Belarus will be able to do so. We will provide them with the necessary support – announced Alyaksandr Lukashenka. – They are hardworking, they have skills, families to support. They can help develop the bridge we are building between Minsk and Islamabad – he added.
This isn't Lukashenko's first statement about the workforce shortage. In March, he openly spoke about the need to bring in 100,000–150,000 workers from abroad, identifying Central Asia and Pakistan as potential sources of labor.
The declaration was made in the context of deepening demographic problems and mass emigration of specialists from Belarus after the 2020 protests, which affected various sectors, including IT, healthcare, and education. Although bringing in workers from Pakistan might alleviate shortages in low-skilled occupations, experts note that replacing specialists will be much harder.
How many people have left Belarus?
Since 2020, 500,000–600,000 people have emigrated from Belarus, constituting about 6–7% of the country's population. The main reasons for this wave of emigration were brutal repressions following the fraudulent presidential elections in August 2020 and the deteriorating economic and political situation in the country. According to estimates by Belarusian sociologist Henadz Korszynau, about 113,000 Belarusians have settled in Poland, and 63,000 in Lithuania. Other destinations include Germany, Georgia, and other EU countries. It is challenging to estimate the number of emigrants who went to Russia due to a lack of consistent statistical data.
"Emigration has serious consequences for the Belarusian industry, especially the IT sector, which before 2020 was one of the pillars of the economy. As a result of repressions and sanctions, many tech companies relocated abroad, and thousands of specialists left the country. This has weakened the innovation and competitiveness of the Belarusian economy," summarized Le Monde in 2024, describing the fates of Belarusian IT specialists seeking asylum in the EU.
The Belarusian authorities make life difficult for emigrants by preventing the renewal of passports abroad, forcing many to return to the country and subjecting them to repression. Countries such as Lithuania and Poland have introduced special travel documents for Belarusians to assist them in this situation.
