UK-based Pakistani Expats Spend 1.25 Bln Annually To Help Needy: Report

Pakistanis expatriates in the United Kingdom (UK) passionately donate about 1.25 billion annually to help needy and destitutes in their host and home countries, deeming it a noble cause for the uplift of their suffering fellows

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Feb, 2020 ) :Pakistanis expatriates in the United Kingdom (UK) passionately donate about 1.25 billion annually to help needy and destitutes in their host and home countries, deeming it a noble cause for the uplift of their suffering fellows.

Out of 1.25 billion, 51 per cent of about, some 636 million Pounds, is being spent for the welfare of people in Pakistan while the 616 million are being allocated for the charitable purposes in the UK.

This was pointed out in a study titled 'Pakistani Diaspora Philanthropy: Patterns and motivations of giving of Pakistani Diaspora in the UK' launched here on Monday to facilitate policy makers for devising a strategy to increase donations from Pakistanis living in the UK.

The study, aimed at gaining an insight into the philanthropic giving practices of the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, was conducted by the British Council (Research, Evaluation and Monitoring Unit), in collaboration with the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP).

The study, carried out through the 'snowball sampling' technique, was compiled after interviewing more than 1,000 UK-based Pakistanis while keeping in view their demographic and socio-economic characteristics. The survey was conducted in five major cities of the UK where almost 70 per cent of Pakistanis are residing.

During the online survey, some 32 per cent youth of 25 to 34 years age bracket and 22 per cent people falling in age group of 35-44 answered the questionnaire which focused on five key themes including trust, identity, impact and religion.

The report identified the UK-based Pakistanis' philanthropic activities including voluntary giving in the form of cash, in-kind and time to and by individuals as well as institutions. It pointed out that some 40 per cent gave donations to support both Pakistan and UK based causes while 31 per cent spend on welfare of Pakistanis and 20 per cent donate their money for the welfare of people in the UK.

The report recommended that the detailed giving of individuals to get insight about the decision making of the philanthropists. Another possibility would be to undertake trial or experiment interventions with Pakistani organisations who are explicitly interested in increasing their engagement with the diaspora population.

Capitalization on faith-based giving, strengthening of regulatory regimes and development of online portals were also part of the recommendations highlighted by the study.

Speaking on the occasion, Parliamentary Secretary Javeria Aheer said the government was taking practical measures to promote digital channels for transfer of charity in Pakistan. She said the government had helped release a large number of Pakistani prisoners, languishing in the foreign jails.

Prime Minister's Focal Person on Shelter Homes Project Naseem ur Rehman underlined the need for focusing the Pakistani youth living in the UK to produce long term and loyal donors for Pakistan.

He underscored the importance for attracting donations from Pakistani expatriates for silent emergency like illiteracy and child mortality.