SUPPORTING RETURNING MIGRANTS, A STEP TOWARDS REINTEGRATION AND EMPOWERMENT

Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & HRD/Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) and Pak-German Facilitation & Reintegration Centre (PGFRC) supporting returning migrants in their social and economic reintegration Islamabad, January 26, 2023: Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) in line with the vision of honorable Prime Minster of Pakistan is developing the capacity of returnee migrants and providing them with trade-specific toolkits as an In-Kind support to help them start sustained self-employment.

In this connection, a ceremony was organized in Islamabad under OPF’s Pak – German Facilitation & Reintegration Centre (PGFRC) where toolkits were handed over to 170 returning migrants in the fields of culinary arts, fashion designing, information technology, motorcycle mechanic, solar technician, electrician, plumber, carpenter, and mason received their toolkits alongwith Loader Rickshaws, Passenger Rikshaw and Motorcycles for self-employment. These returnee migrants had also completed a comprehensive business development training from PGFRC in their selected trades.

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, Mr. Sajid Hussain Turi was the chief guest at the ceremony. Dr. Amer Sheikh, Managing Director OPF, Dr. Sebastian Paust, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Tobias Becker, Country Director, GIZ, members of Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Overseas Pakistanis & HRD, Members, OPF Board of Governors, senior government officials, representatives of international organizations and civil society representatives also attended the ceremony.
Mr. Sajid Hussain Turi, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development said that today’s ceremony is a testament to the commitment of Government of Pakistan which considers overseas Pakistanis as its roaming ambassadors abroad and is actively engaged in resolving their reintegration issues in Pakistan. Ministry of OP&HRD, under the leadership of Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shahbaz Sharif through OPF is working in a focused manner on this issue.

Dr. Sebastian Paust from the German Embassy, Mr. Tobias Becker Country Director GIZ, and Dr. Mansoor Zaib Khan, GIZ Pakistan reiterated that PGFRC is playing a critical role in enhancing the capacity of returnee migrants and reducing unemployment rate in Pakistan.

The returnee Pakistani migrants, who received their Tool-Kits expressed their gratitude to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & HRD/OPF and the government of Pakistan for supporting them to make a new start and achieve sustainable self-employment in Pakistan.