Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) 2023 alumna Afifa Nasar Ullah has spent more than a decade working across journalism, documentary filmmaking, research, and professional training on migration, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.
An award-winning Pakistani multimedia journalist and documentary filmmaker, Afifa has worked with international and Pakistani media organizations including Deutsche Welle (DW), InfoMigrants, and BBC World Service Urdu. Her reporting has examined migration journeys, deceptive recruitment, exploitation, trafficking, and unsafe migration routes, with an emphasis on accuracy, verification, and responsible storytelling.
Responsible Reporting on Migration
Afifa has reported extensively on irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and exploitation through video, documentary, digital, and written journalism.
She further developed this expertise through the Media Fellowship on Migration and Migrant Women’s Human Rights, awarded by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD). As part of the fellowship, she conducted research and produced an investigative documentary on migration and migrant women’s human rights that was later translated into several languages for distribution through Deutsche Welle.
She also received a documentary production grant for a film on sex trafficking. The documentary examined exploitation and responses to trafficking in persons and highlighted the role of the U.S. Mission in Pakistan in prevention, awareness, institutional engagement, and international cooperation. The film was also screened at APFF4 in Thailand.
Strengthening Professional Journalism Skills
Afifa has translated her field experience into professional training for other journalists.
As a Consultant/Trainer with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she has trained journalists on responsible reporting of migration, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling.
Her training focuses on responsible interviewing, informed consent, verification, protection of identities where necessary, and accurate reporting without sensationalism. She also helps journalists distinguish between trafficking and smuggling and better understand issues including deceptive recruitment, exploitation, prevention, protection, accountability, and access to justice.
Afifa has also worked as a Consultant/Trainer with GIZ Pakistan in Peshawar, where she designed and led a filmmaking and storytelling program for Afghan refugee participants. The program provided practical skills in mobile journalism, filmmaking, storytelling, and content development, with resulting films showcased through platforms including the Migration Media Awards by ICMPD.
Helping Young People Recognize Migration Risks
Afifa has also engaged university students and young people on risks associated with unsafe migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and deceptive recruitment.
Her sessions focus on practical skills: recognizing fraudulent employment opportunities, evaluating online information, identifying potential risks, seeking reliable sources, and making more informed decisions before pursuing employment or migration opportunities abroad.
From Journalism to Global Research
Afifa has now been selected as a Fall 2026 Journalism Fellow at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Global Migration Institute in Canada.
Her research examines the relationship between technology and migration, including artificial intelligence, biometric technologies, digital governance, and data-driven migration systems.
The fellowship builds on her years of field reporting, documentary production, and professional training while expanding her work into research on how emerging technologies are shaping migration processes.
Building on the Exchange Experience
As PUAN celebrates Freedom 250, Afifa’s journey demonstrates how U.S.-supported exchange opportunities can complement professional experience and create new pathways for learning, collaboration, and career growth.
Through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) 2023, she added entrepreneurship and professional networking experience to an established career in journalism and documentary filmmaking.
Her work has received recognition including the Agaahi Award (2021) for journalism on trafficking in persons, the CEJ U.S. Consulate Karachi Best Journalist Award (2021–2022), and the Azm-e-Zan Award (2025) from the University of Central Punjab.
Alongside her journalism and training work, Afifa founded The AN Films, extending her professional work into documentary production, multimedia storytelling, training, and mentoring.
Across journalism, research, documentary filmmaking, and professional training, her work continues to emphasize accurate, evidence-based, and responsible communication on migration, trafficking, and migrant smuggling.
