A media roundtable was hosted by Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), highlighting an alarming mental health crisis among Pakistani migrant workers and young people, urging policymakers to integrate mental health care into national and migration frameworks.
Migration is often a survival strategy amid economic hardship, unemployment, and climate shocks such as the 2022 floods that displaced 33 million people. Over 10 million Pakistanis, mostly from rural Sindh and Punjab, have migrated to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the past four decades. While their remittances sustain Pakistan’s economy, amounting to around US$1.2 billion monthly, however, an estimated 70% returning migrants experience mental distress.
“Migrant workers face extreme heat, long working hours, and crowded living conditions,” said Falak Madhani, Implementation Scientist at BMI. “They carry the weight of their families’ financial expectations but have no access to mental health screening before departure, during employment, or after returning home.”
The discussion also spotlighted mental health among global youth, where depression, anxiety, and suicide have become pressing public health concerns. More than 84% of deaths amongst 10-29 year olds in 2021 were from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the majority of the world’s population lives.
“Improving youth mental health requires collective responsibility,” emphasized Dr. Fauziah Rabbani, Implementation Scientist at BMI. “We need to strengthen community systems, address gender-based violence, and promote supportive parenting to build resilience in young people. This cannot be left to individuals alone.”
Experts at the roundtable called for policy reforms, stronger bilateral agreements, and the integration of mental health care at all stages of migration, pre-departure, abroad, and reintegration, while advocating for digital health tools to ensure continuity of care.
