ISLAMABAD: European Union Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday to discuss strengthening Pakistan-EU cooperation in migration and mobility, one of the eight pillars of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019.
Welcoming Commissioner Brunner on his first visit to Pakistan, the prime minister underscored the importance Pakistan attaches to its partnership with the EU, according to a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The premier highlighted Pakistan’s sustained efforts to curb irregular migration and combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking through legislative reforms, institutional strengthening, effective enforcement and international cooperation.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all pillars of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan.
PM Shehbaz emphasised that efforts to address irregular migration should be complemented by practical opportunities for safe, orderly and regular migration.
He noted that expanding legal pathways for Pakistani skilled workers and professionals would help meet the labour market needs of European countries while reducing prospective migrants’ vulnerability to smuggling networks.
Brunner appreciated the measures taken and cooperation extended by the government of Pakistan, the PMO said.
He expressed confidence that these efforts would contribute to expanding legal migration pathways and promoting mutually beneficial labour mobility between Pakistan and the European Union.
President Zardari calls for more legal migration opportunities
Brunner also called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the President’s House today, according to a two-part statement issued by the official presidential account on social media.
“The meeting focused on Pakistan-EU relations, cooperation on migration management, efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and opportunities to facilitate legal migration,” the statement said.
President Zardari called for greater opportunities for legal migration for Pakistani workers and professionals in Europe. He emphasised that Pakistan’s sustained efforts to curb irregular migration should be matched by “expanded legal pathways, skills-based mobility and structured cooperation” with the EU.
He said that Pakistan attached great importance to its cooperation with the EU and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to implementing the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan.
The president highlighted the cooperation between the two countries in curbing irregular migration, noting that Pakistan continued to implement the EU Readmission Agreement and had readmitted more than 30,000 individuals over the years. He stressed the country’s commitment to combating human trafficking and irregular migration through “stronger legislation, institutional capacity, border controls and international cooperation”, the statement said.
The president noted that, according to EU figures, irregular migration from Pakistan reduced by 64 per cent in the last 18 months, making it the only country in the region to achieve such a reduction. He said this progress reflected Pakistan’s “sustained efforts” and underlined the importance of expanding safe and legal avenues for migration.
According to the president’s office, the meeting was informed that Pakistan had sought the EU’s assistance in strengthening the capacity of the Pakistan Coast Guards and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to enhance efforts to combat irregular migration and migrant smuggling.
“The president emphasised that legal migration pathways are essential to providing safe opportunities for workers and reducing reliance on smuggling networks,” the statement added.
He highlighted the Pakistan-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue as a “useful framework for matching Pakistan’s human-resource potential with European labour-market needs”, and expressed the hope that the next round of dialogue — expected to take place in Brussels early next year — would advance this cooperation.
He expressed the country’s readiness to work with the EU on a structured mechanism to match its workforce with European labour-market requirements.
President Zardari also welcomed the expansion of the EU Talent Partnerships framework and called for greater opportunities for skilled workers and professionals, including through circular migration.
He expressed the hope that, given this partnership and the country’s efforts to curb irregular migration, the EU would consider establishing a European Legal Gateway Office in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan and the EU have a “broad-based relationship spanning political dialogue, trade, development cooperation and other areas of mutual interest”, the statement added. He expressed confidence that continued engagement would strengthen mutual understanding and help advance practical cooperation on migration and mobility.
Commissioner Brunner appreciated Pakistan’s role in maintaining regional balance and said Pakistan has done an “amazing job” in this regard, the statement noted.
He also commended Pakistan’s efforts to prevent irregular migrants from undertaking dangerous journeys that cost many of them their lives.
The commissioner was accompanied by EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis; Director for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission Henrik Nielsen; and member of Brunner’s cabinet, Grigorios Delavekouras.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Senator Sherry Rehman, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and former federal minister Naveed Qamar also attended the meeting, the statement added.
