Pakistani-German Facilitation and Reintegration Centre - PGFRC

As migration pathways grow more complex, strong local partners make all the difference in ensuring migration is safe, regular, and well-informed. ✈️🌍

🔎 Last month, we delivered three trainings in Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi, and trained 5️⃣6️⃣ partner staff from government institutions, academia, and civil society on delivering culturally sensitive and customised advisory support for regular migration to the European Union.

Participants explored:
👉 Intercultural sensitivity and effective migration counselling
👉 Technical vs. adaptive challenges faced by migrants
👉 Destination-specific insights on work culture, integration, and support systems in EU countries
👉 Expectation gaps, communication mismatches, and gender-specific barriers
👉 Ethical responsibilities within the EU-Pakistan migration framework

Beyond knowledge, the programme strengthened real-world counselling skills, from active listening and expectation-setting to delivering gender-responsive, inclusive advice grounded in migrants’ realities. This will help potential migrants access the right information and make informed migration decisions.

🤝 On behalf of the German development cooperation and the European Union in Pakistan, we are working towards migration systems that are inclusive, informed, and people-centred.


Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) European Union in Pakistan

👩‍🍳 There is a high demand for skilled workers in the hospitality sector across Europe. This makes it a key area for international cooperation and migration.

On behalf of Germany and the European Union in Pakistan, we are supporting our partners to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration to Germany and other European countries. ✈️

Last month, a team from IHK Trier visited Pakistan and trained the faculty and students of ITHM College Faisalabad on the German education and vocational training system, including the qualification recognition process. The faculty also gained valuable insights into life in Germany, cultural differences and acculturation which will help them to better prepare students for both professional success and social integration in Germany.

In addition, around 2️⃣0️⃣ ITHM students, incl. 7 women, have been enrolled in the Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (bfz) GmbH German language training programme (B1 level), scheduled to begin this month. These students will additionally also receive tailored support with job applications and career readiness for Germany’s hospitality sector.

🤝 This partnership represents a major step forward in strengthening the capacity of local partners and engaging the private sector, helping to build sustainable pathways for skilled migration.



Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) European Union in Pakistan

Happy New Year!

As 2025 comes to an end, we would like to sincerely thank you for your valued cooperation and trust throughout the past year. We wish you and your families a New Year filled with happiness, good health, and new opportunities, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2026. 🎉✨

#2026

Making the Invisible Visible: Promoting gender-inclusive communication in migration

Building on our ongoing capacity development work, we recently conducted an advanced-level training for partner staff on mainstreaming gender in communication and outreach, with a special focus on the migration context. The training was led by a colleague from GIZ Iraq, highlighting the value of cross-border learning and shared expertise.

By combining reflection with practical tools, the sessions supported participants in promoting equitable, respectful, and effective engagement, particularly in advisory services, outreach, and client interactions.

On behalf of Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) and the European Union in Pakistan, we are supporting our partners in making communication more inclusive, impactful, and reflective of the diverse communities they serve.

Did you know Pakistan has one of the largest diaspora communities in Europe?

From highly skilled professionals to entrepreneurs, Pakistani diaspora networks play a powerful role in shaping mobility pathways, driving knowledge exchange, and strengthening economic ties across regions.

To better understand this potential, we recently organised a workshop under the EU Talent Partnership with Pakistan (TP-P), co-funded by the European Union in Pakistan and Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), to disseminate, validate, and enrich the findings from United Nations University-MERIT mapping of Pakistani diaspora in EU member states (Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, and Italy).

The workshop brought together government partners (Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD and allied departments), provincial authorities, EU Member State embassies, private sector actors, academia, and other invaluable stakeholders

Our goal? To build evidence-based, inclusive, and structured approaches to diaspora engagement that:
- Strengthen labour mobility schemes
- Promote gender-responsive migration governance
- Expand safe and regular migration pathways

Event Highlights
➡️Diaspora mapping validated across 5 EU Member States
➡️Engagement with 50+ institutional stakeholders
➡️Identification of diaspora organisations & networks for targeted cooperation
➡️Strengthened understanding of diaspora roles in regular migration pathways

This workshop is an important step toward strategic and meaningful engagement with the Pakistani diaspora, unlocking new opportunities for skills mobility, partnerships, and economic growth for both Pakistan and the EU.