Overview
- In Islamabad on Tuesday, European Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Pakistani leaders signed commitments to strengthen cooperation on border security, readmission and migration management.
- Brunner and Pakistan’s officials credited recent measures with a 64% fall in illegal departures to Europe and praised the Federal Investigation Agency’s work despite limited resources.
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan has adopted a zero-tolerance stance on illegal migration and aims to eliminate irregular departures entirely.
- Pakistan asked the EU for operational support to boost the Pakistan Coast Guards and the Federal Investigation Agency and agreed to work under the EU’s Eastern Corridor Initiative and Talent Partnerships.
- Both sides pledged to expand legal, skills-based migration channels for Pakistani workers and to hold a Migration and Mobility Dialogue in Brussels early next year to turn commitments into concrete programmes.