ISLAMABAD: The number of people travelling illegally from Pakistan to Europe has declined by a record 64 percent, as Pakistan and European partners agreed to deepen cooperation against irregular migration.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held separate meetings with the Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Executive Director of the European Union’s Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
During the meetings, the two sides decided to enhance mutual cooperation to prevent illegal immigration and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen joint measures for prevention and border management.
Mohsin Naqvi said the complete elimination of illegal immigration is the target and that Pakistan will achieve it at all costs.
He also said that opening new avenues for legal migration is essential to reducing illegal migration, a view that reflects growing international consensus that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.
The Director General of ICMPD praised Pakistan’s efforts against illegal immigration, an acknowledgement from a leading European migration policy body that strengthens Pakistan’s international standing on the issue.
The ICMPD is an international organisation that works with governments on migration policy, border management and capacity building. Frontex is the EU agency responsible for supporting member states in managing Europe’s external borders.
Engagement with both enables Pakistan to share information, adopt best practices and coordinate action against the routes used by human smuggling networks.
Irregular migration has long carried a heavy human cost for Pakistani families. Young men lured by smugglers’ promises have faced dangerous land and sea journeys through transit countries and across the Mediterranean.
The 2023 boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, in which many Pakistanis were among the victims, became a turning point that prompted a sustained crackdown on human smuggling networks at home.
Since then, authorities have intensified action against agents, strengthened airport screening and pursued smugglers through the courts. The 64 percent decline suggests these measures are producing measurable results.
The interior minister’s emphasis on legal migration is significant. Pakistan is among the world’s largest sources of overseas workers, and remittances remain a vital pillar of its economy.
Expanding skilled worker programmes, language training and recognised labour agreements with European countries could give young Pakistanis safe alternatives to dangerous routes while helping address labour shortages in parts of Europe.
Enforcement against suspects linked to human smuggling continues across the country. This week in Lahore, police arrested a man wanted for two years by the FIA in a human smuggling case, among other charges.
The latest talks signal that Pakistan intends to sustain its momentum by pairing strict enforcement with international partnerships and legal migration channels.
While the 64 percent fall is a significant achievement, officials acknowledge that smuggling networks adapt quickly, shifting routes and methods when one channel is shut. Sustaining the decline will require continued vigilance at airports and borders, prosecution of agents, and public awareness campaigns in districts that have historically sent large numbers of young men abroad through irregular routes.
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