Belarus targets labor boost: 150,000 Pakistanis welcomed

• Belarus plans to accept 150,000 workers from Pakistan. The decision was announced after Alexander Lukashenko's meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Minsk.
• The migrants are to be employed mainly in industry. Belarus is particularly encouraging work at the Baranovichi Cotton Industry Association.
• The decision—according to Minsk's propaganda—is aimed at alleviating the labor shortage.

Many of the reports given by Russian and Belarusian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such information is part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.

Alexander Lukashenko announced the readiness to accept 150,000 workers from Pakistan, which Minsk claims will help solve the country's demographic and economic issues. Belarus is struggling with population outflow and an aging society. The Belarusian authorities hope that new workers will help cool down the overheated labor market.

As Lukashenko emphasized, Belarus is primarily interested in specialists. He encourages entire families to move. "If a family comes, they will work," assured the Belarusian leader.

Experts are divided in their assessment of Lukashenko's decision. Pavel Latushka, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, suggests that inviting Pakistanis may not only aim to strengthen the economy but also to trigger a migration crisis in the European Union.

He points out that some migrants may attempt to cross into the EU, which could impact the political situation in the region.

Lev Lvovsky, the academic director of the BEROC center, notes that integrating such a large number of migrants could be a challenge for Belarus.

- There has been no such experience in the history of Belarus - explains the economist in an interview with "Gazeta Wyborcza". In 2024, about 30,000 migrants arrived in the country, mainly from former USSR countries, which was a significantly smaller scale than the planned acceptance of 150,000 people from Pakistan.