Italy offers 10,000 jobs to Pakistani workers in historic deal

Dubai: Pakistan has secured a historic labour quota from Italy, paving the way for 10,500 Pakistani workers to gain employment in Europe over the next three years.

The agreement marks Italy as the first European country to offer a dedicated job allocation specifically for Pakistan, officials announced Saturday.

Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will travel to Italy annually, including 1,500 seasonal workers for short-term roles and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment.

Opportunities span multiple sectors such as shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare, and agriculture, with positions for skilled and semi-skilled workers including welders, technicians, chefs, waiters, housekeepers, nurses, medical technicians, and farm labourers.

“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” said Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”

The move comes as Pakistan aims to diversify overseas employment destinations beyond the Middle East while boosting remittance inflows, a crucial source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development confirmed that the second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labour cooperation is scheduled in Islamabad in February 2026, where the implementation of the agreement and future collaborations will be discussed.