ISLAMABAD: The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, has lauded Pakistan’s significant strides in curbing illegal migration. During a meeting with Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad, Brunner highlighted a notable decrease in illegal migration to Europe, attributing a 64 percent reduction to Pakistan’s effective measures.

According to Radio Pakistan, Magnus Brunner recognized the efforts of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in maintaining professional standards despite facing resource constraints. He emphasized that reducing illegal migration could pave the way for enhancing legal migration pathways.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against illegal migration. He stated that, following the reported reduction, the country’s next goal is complete eradication of illegal migration. Naqvi stressed the importance of collaboration between Pakistan and the European Union to fully address the issue.

The discussions between the two officials also covered the promotion of legal migration and the expansion of opportunities for skilled workers between Pakistan and the European Union. Both sides reached an agreement to enhance cooperation in border security and to strengthen their collaborative efforts in migration, institutional cooperation, and border management.

Additionally, it was decided that Pakistan and the European Union would work together on the Eastern Corridor Initiative, an EU project aimed at combating illegal migration.