By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to deepen cooperation against illegal migration and to widen legal routes for skilled Pakistani workers to take jobs in Europe, after Brussels’ migration chief praised Islamabad for cutting irregular departures by 64 percent.
Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for internal affairs and migration, held talks on Tuesday with prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, during his first visit to Pakistan.
“Pakistan’s effective measures have resulted in a commendable 64 percent reduction in illegal migration to Europe,” Brunner said, according to a statement issued by the interior ministry.
He praised the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), saying it had shown professionalism despite limited resources. “Reducing illegal migration will open up pathways for legal migration,” he said.
Sharif told the commissioner that Pakistan attached great importance to its partnership with the EU, the prime minister’s office said. Migration and mobility is one of the eight pillars of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan, agreed in 2019.
The prime minister pointed to legislative reforms, stronger institutions and tougher enforcement as part of Pakistan’s effort to curb irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking. He argued that this work must be matched by realistic opportunities for safe, orderly and regular migration.
Expanding legal pathways for Pakistani skilled workers and professionals, he said, would help meet labour shortages in European countries while making would-be migrants less vulnerable to smuggling networks. Brunner welcomed Pakistan’s cooperation and said he was confident it would help open up mutually beneficial labour mobility, the prime minister’s office said.
In a separate meeting in Islamabad, Naqvi and Brunner discussed border security, legal migration and border management, followed by delegation-level talks. The interior minister said Pakistan had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal migration, which he described as a serious global problem.
“Following the 64 percent reduction in illegal migration, our next target is to eliminate it completely,” Naqvi said. “Pakistan and the European Union need to work together to completely eliminate illegal migration.”
Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on immigration, institutional coordination and border management, including through the EU’s Eastern Corridor initiative, which targets migrant smuggling along routes linking Asia and Europe. They also discussed building up the capacity of the Pakistan Coast Guards. Brunner assured Pakistan of support, according to the interior ministry.
The interior secretary, the directors general of the FIA, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency and the passports department, the inspector general of the Federal Constabulary and the Islamabad chief commissioner were among those present.
Pakistan has stepped up action against smuggling networks after a series of deadly boat disasters in recent years involving Pakistanis trying to reach Europe via North Africa and the Mediterranean. Immigration officers at international airports now scrutinise passengers suspected of using tourist, work or religious travel to reach third countries before moving on to Europe.
The checks have drawn complaints that genuine travellers are being stopped from boarding flights. The FIA says its screening is aimed at smuggling and document fraud, not lawful travel.
The 64 percent figure comes from the Pakistani government. The statements did not say what period or baseline it covers. Naqvi gave the same figure last month, calling it an achievement made despite limited resources.
Brunner’s visit follows his talks with Naqvi in Brussels in December, when he cited a 47 percent fall in attempts to reach Europe by irregular routes over the previous year and said he would travel to Pakistan, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
Brunner has said that irregular arrivals across the bloc are falling sharply, by 37 percent compared with last year. The EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum came into force in June.
In February, Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed to promote legal pathways as a way of tackling illegal migration. The three European countries endorsed Mr Naqvi’s proposal at a conference.
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