ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry has called for a joint global strategy and modern technology-based solutions at a Vienna forum to tackle illegal immigration, the interior ministry said on Saturday.
Chaudhry is in Austria to attend a meeting of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, an international cooperation framework launched by the European Union in 2023 to coordinate efforts among countries and global organizations to combat migrant smuggling networks.
Pakistan reported a 47 percent drop in illegal immigration to Europe last year, with more than 1,700 human smugglers arrested as part of an expanded nationwide crackdown.
“Illegal migration is not just a border issue but a global challenge; a joint strategy is essential,” the interior ministry quoted Chaudhry as saying.
“Modern technology, intelligence sharing, and joint strategies are the only effective solutions to human smuggling.”
The report said Chaudhry also urged expanding opportunities for “safe, orderly, and legal” migration, saying it was urgently needed to curb illegal immigration.
Pakistan has adopted modern technologies recently including the rollout of an Artificial Intelligence-based immigration screening system in Islamabad to detect forged travel documents and prevent illegal departures.
In June, the United Kingdom’s Minister for Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan Hamish Falconer committed an additional Rs2.9 billion (£8 million) to support joint Pakistan-UK efforts to combat illegal migration and crime.
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.
