PM Shehbaz, EU official discuss Pakistan's efforts to curb migrant smuggling

Magnus Brunner, the European Union's commissioner for internal affairs and migration, held talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday during his first visit to Pakistan. Dawn, citing a Prime Minister's Office statement, said the talks centred on migration and mobility, which forms part of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019. Sharif cited Pakistan's steps against irregular migration and human trafficking, including law reforms and international cooperation.

Sharif argued that tougher enforcement should be paired with safe and regular channels, noting that wider legal routes for skilled workers could meet European labour shortages and lessen would-be migrants' exposure to smuggling networks. President Asif Ali Zardari, who also met Brunner, pressed for more legal pathways and welcomed the expansion of the EU Talent Partnerships framework. He also expressed hope that the EU would consider opening a European Legal Gateway Office in Pakistan, citing EU figures that showed a 64 per cent drop in irregular migration from Pakistan over 18 months.

Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi discussed border security and legal migration with Brunner, and both sides agreed to cooperate on the EU's Eastern Corridor Initiative. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also met the commissioner, and the Foreign Office said he hoped the visit would bring tangible benefits. According to the president's statement, the next Migration and Mobility Dialogue is expected in Brussels early next year.