LAHORE: (Thursday, February 01, 2024): Punjab University Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) and Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together to promote safe and legal migration and combat trafficking in persons in Pakistan. The MOU was signed by the Director ISCS Dr Rubeena Zakar and Executive Director SSDO Syed Kausar Abbas at University of the Punjab. In her address, Dr Rubeena said that the institute is looking forward to an extensive and meaningful engagement with SSDO to develop the capacity of youth on the issues related to combating trafficking in persons, bonded labor, child protection, safe and regular migration, climate and environment change, countering violent extremism, combating drug trafficking in the educational institutions. She said that the institute is collaborating with all the relevant stakeholders and the civil society organizations to ensure the meaningful participation of youth in the development of the society. Syed Kausar Abbas said that the youth of Pakistan is the most vulnerable part of the society and tend to have lack of awareness about the processes and laws related to different issues. SSDO intends to introduce a course on ‘Introduction to Migration’ in the Institute of Social and Cultural Studies to promote the concept of safe and legal migration as well as to combat human smuggling and trafficking in Pakistan, he added. According to the press release, this is the first time a university is starting a curriculum on the migration issue which will lead towards promoting safe and regular migration in the country. The youth need to be educated about the safe and regular ways of migration for education, health, tourism and/or for the purpose of settlement. To strengthen the information mechanism, SSDO has also launched a portal with the title ‘The Migration Optics’ to provide information to the youth and other segments of the society about the safe and regular ways of migration. The curriculum of Introduction to Migration will be replicated to other educational institutes in the hotspot districts of the Punjab and then an advocacy campaign will be launched to include such course in educational institutions across the country. Irregular migration from Pakistan has been increasing and needs to be countered by engaging youth and other stakeholders creating massive awareness about the associated risks and providing information about the available opportunities and migration through regular channels.