Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif called for wider legal migration pathways for Pakistani skilled workers and professionals, the Press Information Department said.
He met European Union Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in Islamabad. Their talks focused on migration and mobility under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019.
Sharif said efforts to address irregular migration should include practical opportunities for safe, orderly and regular migration. Expanded legal pathways would serve European countries’ labour-market needs and reduce prospective migrants’ vulnerability to smuggling networks, he said.
The prime minister outlined Pakistan’s efforts against irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking. These included legislative reforms, stronger institutions, enforcement and international cooperation. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to cooperation across all pillars of the engagement plan.
Brunner welcomed Pakistan’s measures and cooperation. He expressed confidence that these efforts would help expand legal migration pathways and promote mutually beneficial labour mobility.
Source: Press Information Department (PID), Government of Pakistan (official statement, PID 34279).
