igration has long shaped Pakistan’s social and economic landscape. Millions of Pakistanis are living and working abroad, supporting their families back home, contributing to foreign reserves, upgrading their lifestyles and developing the international connections. However, irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, exploitative recruitment practices and limited access to justice continue to expose vulnerable people to exploitation.

Migration management is not limited to border management and immigration control. It includes human rights, labour migration, socio-economic opportunities and access to social protection and justice. Pakistan needs to transform its efforts in migration governance from fragmented and partial approaches to a more integrated, comprehensive and coordinated one that will respond to the needs and expectations of migrants and their communities.

A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is needed to address the challenges. Government institutions design and implement policies and legislation, the parliament reviews and monitors laws, international organizations can provide technical support. Civil society acts as a liaison between government and communities. Effective coordination among stakeholders is vital to ensure that policies addressing migration-related challenges are developed and implemented in a way responsive to people’s needs.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) are uniquely positioned to work with affected communities because of their proximity, ability to listen and contextual understanding. They can play a significant part in identifying emerging issues, gaps in the implementation of policies, raising awareness about regular migration channels and supporting vulnerable groups including victims of trafficking and smuggling. They can also help with rehabilitation and integration of returning migrants. CSOs involvement ensures that the voices of those not always heard in consultations are considered in policymaking.

The establishment of the Civil Society Alliance on Migration by the International Organisation for Migration could bring together various organisations to formulate collective action to address issues related to safe, orderly and regular migration. Its success will depend on whether C-SAM can move from being a consultative body to an operational platform for a collective approach to policy dialogue, sharing of information and good practices and joint actions to work in collaboration with other state institutions to curb trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.

There is already a precedent for such cooperation. In 2023, National Police Bureau under the leadership of Director General Dr Ehsan Sadiq hosted a working group on anti-human trafficking and migrant smuggling that involved national and international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International Organisation for Migration, the International Labour Organisation, Sustainable Social Development Organisation, International Centre for Migration Policy Development and IRARA. It helped establish partnerships and synergised the efforts to address TIP. The C-SAM network, through its thematic working groups, can build on this platform by engaging government institutions and working on concrete deliverables in the areas of prevention, victim support and policy implementation.

Migration governance is a complex, multidimensional process that cannot be shaped effectively in isolation or through top-down approaches alone. Migrants, their families and host communities must be recognised as equal partners in decision-making, with meaningful opportunities to shape policies, influence interventions and hold institutions accountable. They should not be treated as passive recipients of services or institutional goodwill.

Legal and institutional mechanisms are in place in Pakistan to address organised crime associated with migration. These include the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018, and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018. These laws align with the framework of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, supplemented by its two relevant protocols. Together, these international instruments provide a foundation for strengthening national legislation, cross-border cooperation and victim protection.

This year, Pakistan has developed the National Action Plans 2026-2030 to Counter the Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons that could help in aligning national strategies with those of communities. While law enforcement is an important aspect of migration governance, there is a need for collective action in terms of prosecution, prevention, awareness, victim support, research and access to justice through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.

These plans can translate policy commitments into measurable results through clear responsibilities, timelines, indicators and regular reviews. The civil society can support oversight through thematic working groups. International organisations and development partners can provide technical assistance, capacity-building and advocacy support, guided by national priorities, accountability and migrants’ rights.

On the legislative front, the policy makers can play a significant role not only for enacting robust legal and policy framework but also for oversight on its implementation. The provincial legislatures need to be engaged in migration governance as well as it cuts across various sectors, including labour, education, health, social protection, child protection and law and order. An innovative move in this direction was the establishment of Pakistan’s first-ever Special Parliamentary Committee on Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab in 2023. The initiative was undertaken with the support of Sustainable Social Development Organisation, the British High Commission and the US Mission in Pakistan.

Effective implementation of the legal and policy framework on human trafficking and migrant smuggling depends on the coordinated efforts of state institutions, law-enforcement agencies, judicial authorities, provincial governments and civil society organisations. The Federal Investigation Agency, particularly its Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling Wing, has a central role in investigating offences, dismantling criminal networks and bringing perpetrators to justice.

The Ministry of Interior is instrumental in providing policy direction, facilitating inter-agency coordination and overseeing relevant law-enforcement responses. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development can contribute to protecting migrant workers, promoting ethical recruitment practices and addressing vulnerabilities associated with overseas employment.

The Ministry of Human Rights, Social Welfare and Labour Departments, child protection authorities, police, Prosecution Departments and relevant district administrations also have important responsibilities in victim identification, protection, legal assistance, rehabilitation and reintegration. Immigration authorities and border-management agencies can strengthen the detection of fraudulent travel documentation and irregular cross-border movements, while the judiciary ensures due process, adjudication and accountability in accordance with the law.

Civil society organisations are essential partners in translating legal commitments into meaningful protection at the community level. They can help identify vulnerable individuals, report emerging risks, raise awareness about safe and regular migration, facilitate referrals to relevant authorities and support victims through trusted community networks. Stronger inter-agency coordination, timely intelligence-sharing, specialised investigations, effective prosecution and survivor-centred protection must go hand in hand with prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Meaningful inclusion of civil society at the national, provincial and district levels is essential to complement law-enforcement efforts, strengthen public trust and bridge the gap between state institutions and affected communities. Victim protection, assistance and rehabilitation are essential to an effective response to TIP and SOM. Young people often face heightened vulnerabilities and require accessible, age-appropriate and gender-sensitive support.

A survivor-centred approach should prioritise victims’ safety, dignity, informed consent, confidentiality and individual needs. Relevant government institutions must establish clear referral pathways and coordinated case-management mechanisms to ensure timely access to safe shelter, medical and psychosocial care, legal aid, education, vocational training and livelihood support. Rehabilitation and reintegration services should protect survivors from stigma, retaliation, re-trafficking and further exploitation and enable their meaningful participation in decisions affecting their recovery.

Civil society organisations can complement government efforts by identifying and referring victims, facilitating access to essential services, advocating for survivors’ rights and monitoring protection gaps. Stronger partnerships among government institutions, CSOs and international organisations are essential to institutionalise survivor-centred procedures, accessible complaints and feedback mechanisms, and effective monitoring of assistance.

Academia has a vital role in preventing human trafficking and migrant smuggling by educating young people about safe migration and fraudulent recruitment. The Institute of Social and Cultural Studies, University of the Punjab, has taken an important step by introducing a mandatory course, Introduction to Migration. The initiative should be replicated across universities and colleges in Pakistan to promote informed decision-making and protect students from exploitation when pursuing education and employment opportunities abroad. Academia and CSOs can conduct research to document the experiences with migration governance, issues, challenges, and formulate recommendations for policymakers and programme designers.

Through their trusted community networks, CSOs can provide people with reliable information about legal migration pathways, recruitment procedures, workers’ rights, contractual obligations and the responsibilities of overseas employment promoters. They can also help communities identify fraudulent recruitment practices, understand exploitation risks and access appropriate support. Migrant Resource Centres supported by ICMPD provide counselling and guidance on regular migration opportunities. CSOs can extend these efforts to underserved communities through local outreach, awareness sessions and referrals. Their role is equally important in supporting returning migrants with access to services, reintegration opportunities and protection mechanisms.

The writer is the chief executive officer of Sustainable Social Development Organisation