ISLAMABAD, 13 October, 2026 (Nosheen): President Asif Ali Zardari has called for expanding legal migration opportunities for Pakistani workers and professionals in Europe, stressing that Pakistan’s sustained efforts to curb irregular migration should be matched by increased legal pathways, skills-based mobility and structured cooperation with the European Union. The President expressed these views during a meeting with Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The meeting discussed Pakistan-EU relations, cooperation in migration management, efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and opportunities to facilitate legal migration. President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to broad-based cooperation with the European Union and the implementation of the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan. Highlighting Pakistan’s cooperation in curbing irregular migration, he said the country continues to implement the EU Readmission Agreement and has readmitted more than 30,000 individuals over the years. He added that Pakistan remains committed to combating human trafficking and irregular migration through stronger legislation, enhanced institutional capacity, effective border controls and international cooperation. Referring to progress in reducing irregular migration, the President noted that, according to EU figures, irregular migration from Pakistan had declined by 64 percent over the previous 18 months, making Pakistan the only country in the region to achieve such a reduction. He said the progress reflected Pakistan’s sustained efforts and emphasised the need to expand safe and legal migration channels.
The meeting was also informed that Pakistan had sought EU assistance to strengthen the capacity of the Pakistan Coast Guards and the Federal Investigation Agency to combat irregular migration and migrant smuggling more effectively. President Zardari stressed that legal migration pathways were essential to providing safe opportunities for Pakistani workers and reducing dependence on smuggling networks. He described the Pakistan-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue as a useful framework for aligning Pakistan’s human-resource potential with European labour-market needs and expressed hope that the next round of dialogue, expected to take place in Brussels early next year, would further strengthen cooperation in this area.