Population Mobility across the Pakistani Border: Fifty Years Experience

In: The Pakistan development review: PDR, Band 36, Heft 4II, S. 989-1009

Abstract

This paper describes population mobility across borders
experienced by Pakistan during the past fifty years. Some consequences
of this mobility have also been briefly mentioned. The dichotomy of this
population mobility into inward and outward flow reveals that while the
former can be traced to political factors like the partition of the
Subcontinent and the Afghan war, the latter mostly represents a
job-oriented move. Every flow is associated with its own set of effects,
difficult to be encompassed by a single research exercise. Migration
from India in the wake of partition is associated with a higher level of
urbanisation and a rise in religious homogeneity associated at the same
time with increased ethnic diversity, which according to some can be
linked with the current Karachi situation. Pakistan also engaged in
manpower export and experienced brain-drain. Both of these outward
flows, to some extent rooted in history, have particular effects for the
society and economy. These differences emanate from the pattern of
permanent or temporary settlement abroad, characteristics of the
emigrants particularly in terms of human capital endowments. and the
nature of links maintained with families in Pakistan which have a
bearing on the inflow of remittances. Illegal migration to Pakistan from
the surrounding countries is alleged to be substantial at present. The
ease with which the identity cards and passports of Pakistan are
acquired by these illegal migrants simply reveals the level of control
and the standard of honesty prevailing in the situation. In this
context, the importance of peace and economic stability in the
neighbouring countries emerges to be quite obvious for
Pakistan.