The issue

Low-income migrants in Pakistan risk their lives by embarking on life threatening journeys in search for a better livelihood. Often these migrants are at risk of being exploited by criminals and human smugglers due to lack of information about the migration process. Ultimately, these migrants end up spending large sums of money the equivalent of which could have provided them with a legal route to employment overseas. For those who make it abroad, they are either imprisoned or are subject to dangerous and unfair working conditions.

The solution

Since 2015, members of The Kafalah Trust team have met with local government authorities in Pakistan, NGOs and with Pakistani migrants globally (UK, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Dubai, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE). Our consultations have revealed that the a lack of information and weak monitoring of the immigration process are some of the major causes of this unfortunate situation. We believe that the presence of a trusted end-to-end provider of immigration solutions for low-income migrants could be a viable solution to the issues faced by the migrant community.

The response

We created The Kafalah Trust to become a source of information and services for the migrant community that provides all migrants, regardless of caste, creed or color, the opportunity to find employment overseas. The Kafalah Trust gathers migrants from all over Pakistan, provides skill training to those who need it, matches candidate’s expertise with the available job descriptions, and provides all the necessary pre and post departure information for safe and legal migration. The well-being and protection of these migrants is our utmost priority

Values

  • Ensure the mental, physical and economic health of our beneficiaries remains the paramount consideration in all decisions
  • Establish rigorous vetting protocols for employers
  • Guarantee safe employment and comprehensive health insurance of beneficiaries throughout their employment abroad, until self-sufficient.
  • Provide an avenue of support and guidance for all beneficiaries of the Trust
  • Engage and update relevant private and public stakeholders to raise awareness on the plight faced of low-income Pakistanis in obtaining employment locally and abroad