Lukashenko's migrant move: Belarus eyes Pakistani workforce
Lithuanian media have warned that the invitation extended by Alexander Lukashenko to 150,000 migrant workers could mark a new chapter in the ongoing crisis at the Belarus-EU borders. Lukashenko hopes to attract "workers, farmers, intellectuals" from Pakistan.
President Alexander Lukashenko and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have agreed to develop a mechanism to facilitate labour migration, according to the state news agency BelTA.
“Such a proposal raises concerns in neighbouring Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. In 2021–2022, the Belarusian regime triggered a migration crisis on the borders with EU and NATO countries by directing migrants toward EU countries,” noted the Lithuanian portal LRT in its report on the developments in Belarus.
According to Belarusian oppositionist Aleh Azarau, it is too early to judge whether the invitation of thousands of Pakistanis will trigger a new wave of the migration crisis. — "Belarus indeed lacks a workforce, as many people left after the fraudulent elections in 2020 and due to repression. Skilled workers are needed, but probably not from Pakistan," he expressed doubtfully.
Azarau, a former officer of the Belarusian police services and now an opposition member operating in Poland, has often warned against the human smuggling operations co-organized by the regime along 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 is not Lukashenko's first remark on the labour shortage. In March, he openly discussed the need to bring in 100,000-150,000 workers from abroad, citing Central Asia and Pakistan as potential sources of labour.
The declaration comes amid deepening demographic issues and the mass emigration of specialists from Belarus after the 2020 protests, which affected sectors such as IT, medicine, and education. While bringing in workers from Pakistan may alleviate shortages in low-skilled jobs, experts note that replacing specialists will be much more challenging.
How many people have fled 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 repression following the fraudulent presidential elections in August 2020 and the deteriorating economic and political situation in the country. According to estimates by Belarusian sociologist Hienadzy Korshunau, about 113,000 Belarusians have settled in Poland and 63,000 in Lithuania. Other emigration destinations include Germany, Georgia, and other EU countries. It is difficult 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 repression and sanctions, many tech companies relocated abroad, and thousands of specialists left the country. This weakened the innovativeness and competitiveness of the Belarusian economy," summarized the French newspaper Le Monde in 2024, describing the plight of Belarusian IT specialists seeking asylum in the EU.
The Belarusian authorities complicate life for emigrants by hindering passport renewals abroad, forcing many to return to the country and exposing them to repression. Countries like Lithuania and Poland have introduced special travel documents for Belarusians to assist them in this situation.
