ISLAMABAD: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland have backed Pakistan’s measures against illegal immigration and agreed on providing jobs to Pakistani nationals officially, the Pakistani interior ministry said on Friday.

The issue of illegal immigration and its consequences gained significant attention in Pakistan in recent years, following the death of hundreds of Pakistani nationals in boat capsizes and the arrest of Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged documents.

The tragedies put the spotlight on perilous journeys many migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan and other countries, often driven by economic hardship, undertake to seek better financial prospects in Europe and Western countries.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week attended a conference of foreign ministers from Pakistan, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland that focused on steps to prevent illegal immigration and human trafficking.

“The conference agreed to formulate a comprehensive roadmap to discourage illegal immigration and encourage legal immigration,” the Pakistani interior ministry said. “All countries also agreed to provide jobs for Pakistan at the official level.”

All parties agreed on joint measures to address the issue of illegal immigration, with participating EU countries deciding to appoint focal persons in the Pakistani interior ministry to improve coordination.

Detailed consultations on tackling internal security, militancy and narcotics also took place at the conference, and the participants decided to adopt a coordinated strategy to address common challenges.

“Pakistan is implementing a coordinated strategy against human trafficking and illegal immigration,” Naqvi told the participants. “Illegal immigration from Pakistan to Europe has decreased by 47 percent.”

He said the reduction in illegal immigration resulted from a tough crackdown on human trafficking mafia, adding that European nations and Pakistan could overcome this challenge together.