Pakistani diaspora

Overseas Pakistanis
Total population
	3,973,549 [1]
Regions with significant populations
Languages
	Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Arabic, English, French and other Pakistani languages
Religion
	Predominantly Islam with small numbers of Christianity, Hinduism

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An overseas Pakistani is a Pakistani citizen who has migrated to another country or a person of Pakistani origin who is born outside Pakistan. There are approximately 4 million Pakistanis living abroad, with three-quarters of them living within the Middle East.

[edit] Overseas Pakistani

The term overseas Pakistani is a term which is officially recognized by the Government of Pakistan. The Overseas Pakistani Division (OPD) was created in September 2004 within the Ministry of Labour and Manpower. Over the past 6 years it has recognized the importance of overseas Pakistanis and their contribution to the economy. Together with Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) and the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), all three are redoubling their efforts in improving the welfare of overseas Pakistanis. The division aims at providing better services to the overseas Pakistanis through improved facilities at airports, setting up suitable schemes in housing, education and health care. Its biggest effort is facilitating the rehabilitation of returning overseas Pakistanis.

[edit] Overseas Pakistanis Foundation

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) was established July, 1979, with its head office at Islamabad and regional offices in all provincial capitals as well as Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. The objective of the OPF is to advance the welfare of the Pakistanis working or settled abroad and their families in Pakistan by identifying their problems and contributing to their solutions. These include health care, financial aid, foreign exchange remittance and education.^[1]

[edit] Foreign Community Welfare Attaches

Community Welfare Attaches (CWA's) are located in 16 cities around the world. There primarily function is to Establish and maintain close contacts with the foreign firms who are in need of manpower for their ventures working in different countries as well as to aid in the welfare of oversea Pakistanis. CWA's are currently located in:

[edit] National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP)

The National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, also called NICOP, was conceived by NADRA as a project by mutual resolve of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Ministry of Labour & Manpower, and the Interior Ministry. The scheme calls for the creation of a comprehensive database of Pakistanis who either work abroad or hold a dual nationality. The NADRA Ordinance envisages issuance of NICOP to Pakistani workers, emigrants, citizens, or Pakistanis holding dual nationality, having been registered under the NADRA Ordinance. As per this ordinance, NADRA has been entrusted with the task of registering the overseas Pakistanis. NICOP, in addition to providing the authenticity of the individual, has additional features at the same time, as the person possessing the NICOP is entitled visa-free entry in Pakistan.

[edit] Little Pakistan

See Little Pakistan

"Little Pakistan" is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Pakistanis or people of Pakistani ancestry (overseas Pakistani), usually in an urban neighborhood. Some well known "Little Pakistan's" include:

Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Canada
Devon Avenue, Chicago, USA
Jackson Heights, New York, USA
Grønland, Oslo, Norway - also referred to as "Little Karachi".
Alum Rock, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Green Street, London, United Kingdom
Aziziya, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

[edit] Returning Overseas Pakistanis

[edit] History

Millions of Pakistanis immigrated to various countries abroad during the 1970s and 1980s, however unlike European immigrants who settled permanantly in the new world, Pakistanis who immigrated abroad considered themselves to be sojourners, who had left to earn abroad but not to settle, or were students who intended to return to Pakistan when their degree programs were completed.

[edit] Returning

From the Middle East

Since the inception of Pakistan in 1947, there has been a large population of Pakistanis in the Middle East, mainly in Saudi Arabia. However, since the 1990s many of them have opted for countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. Pakistanis who immigrated to these countries or who were born in these countries tended to stay close to Pakistani culture. Many International Pakistan Schools were opened to cater for the large population and for them to study under the same boards as Pakistanis students at home. Thus, those returning to Pakistan from the Middle East have found it much easier to adapt. Pakistanis returning home from the Middle East can be found throughout the country today and these people are usually fluent in Arabic, Urdu, English and there regional languages. They are most likely involved in trading business as well as in media and telecommunications.

From Europe

Since the 1990s, a large number of Pakistanis who setteled in Europe have been returning to Pakistan. Compared to there North American counterparts, these Pakistanis tended to be less educated when they had left and so there primary purpose abroad was to make a decent earning and help there children get a good education, which they could not provide for them in Pakistan. Those who were born in Europe, have also maintained close links to Pakistani culture, however there are incidents of children growing up not learning Urdu or Pakistani culture, and hence those who return from Europe do sometime feel a "culture shock". Those returning from Norway are mostly found in Kharian, whereas those from northern England can be found in Azad Kashmir and upper Punjab.

From America

Very small numbers of Pakistanis from Canada and the United States have historically returned to Pakistan. Although they frequently visit Pakistan during the summer and winter vacations, permanent settlement has not been popular amongst them until 2001. Since the Septemeber 11 terrorst attacks and the recent Financial crisis of 2007–2009, a large number of Pakistani Americans and Pakistani Canadians are begining to retun. The population of returning expatriates from the Americas has increased significantly due to new job opputunities as well, who tend to have excellent credentials. ^[2] Many from North America are mainly found in the major cities of Pakistan, mainly Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. Those who were born in North America have tended to find jobs easier in Pakistan and children returning are usually enrolled in English-medium schools.

[edit] Statistics

Continent / Country	Articles	Overseas Pakistani Population
Asia		72,803
Azerbaijan		200
Bangladesh		310
Brunei		500
China		653
Hong Kong	South Asians in Hong Kong	11,111^[3]
Indonesia		400
Iran		11,500
Japan	Pakistanis in Japan	10,912^[4]
Kazakhstan		500
Kyrgyzstan		360
Malaysia	Pakistanis in Malaysia	10,000
Maldives		100
Mongolia		15 ^[5]
Myanmar		51
Nepal		46
North Korea		0
Philippines		1,000
Russia		1,500
Singapore	Pakistanis in Singapore	1,600
South Korea		7,000
Sri Lanka		369
Tajikistan		30
Thailand		1,980
Turkmenistan		243
Uzbekistan		75
Vietnam		25
Europe		1,095,034
Austria		3,500
Belgium		14,500
Bosnia and Herzegovina		16
Bulgaria		16
Croatia		1
Cyprus		1,100
Denmark	Pakistanis in Denmark	19,250^[6]
Finland		525
France	Pakistanis in France	50,000
Germany	Pakistanis in Germany	35,081^[7]
Greece		32,500
Hungary		45
Ireland	Irish Pakistani	7,000
Italy	Pakistanis in Italy	46,085^[8]
Moldova		10
Netherlands	Pakistanis in the Netherlands	40,000
Norway	Pakistani Norwegians	36,400
Poland		180
Portugal		6,000
Romania		710
Serbia		2
Spain	Pakistanis in Spain	42,105^[9]
Sweden	Pakistani Swedish	5,250
Switzerland		2,415
Turkey		38
United Kingdom	British Pakistanis, Pakistanis in London	Over 900,000 England: 861,000 (2006)^[10] Scotland: 31,793 (2001)^[11] Wales: 8,287 (2001)^[12] Northern Ireland: 666 (2001)^[13]
Others		1620
Americas		851,385
Argentina		30
Bolivia		50
Brazil		180
Canada	Pakistani Canadian	90,000^[14] - 124,730
Chile		200
Colombia		10
Mexico		150
Paraguay		12
Peru		250
Suriname		3
United States	Pakistani American	210,245^[15]
Africa		37,964
Algeria		34
Botswana		160
Comoros		11
Djibouti		30
Egypt		415
Ghana		152
Kenya		1,862
Libya	Pakistanis in Libya	30,000
Madagascar		11
Mauritius		43
Morocco		38
Niger		62
Nigeria		292
Senegal		26
Seychelles		5
South Africa		2,500
Sudan		200
Tanzania		950
Zimbabwe		400
Others		773
Oceania		23,000
Australia	Pakistani Australian	20,000
New Zealand	Pakistani New Zealander	3,000
Fiji		500
Middle East	Pakistanis in the Middle East	1,893,373
Bahrain		45,000
Iraq		456
Jordan		8,000
Kuwait		100,000
Lebanon		700
Oman		85,000
Palestine		10
Qatar		52,000
Saudi Arabia		1,100,000
Syria		517
UAE		880,000
Yemen		700
Others		500
Total Overseas Pakistani Population		3,973,559