European states praise Pakistan’s anti-smuggling fight at ministers’ meeting
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece on the sidelines of a four-nation conference on illegal migration.
ISLAMABAD:
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday warned that 22 terrorist organizations are regrouping in Afghanistan and said Pakistan currently stands as “a wall between terrorists and the world.”
The comments came as Naqvi led Pakistan’s delegation at a conference of interior ministers from six countries on illegal immigration and human trafficking held in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. He briefed participants on the evolving situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and called for greater international cooperation to address transnational threats.
The interior ministers of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with the Secretary of State of Finland, attended the meeting and praised Pakistan’s efforts against illegal migration and human trafficking. Participants agreed to develop a coordinated roadmap to discourage illegal immigration while promoting legal migration channels. They also supported joint measures to curb human trafficking and decided to appoint focal people in their interior ministries to improve coordination.
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Detailed consultations were held on internal security, counterterrorism, border management and counter-narcotics cooperation, with participants emphasizing closer intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies. Naqvi said Pakistan’s crackdown on human smuggling networks had produced encouraging results, stating that illegal migration from Pakistan to Europe had decreased by 47%. He added that Pakistan and European countries could jointly overcome the challenge through sustained cooperation.
Productive meeting in Rome with my counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece at the four-nation conference to curb illegal migration.
Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against illegal migration, human trafficking and narcotics, including a joint strategy… pic.twitter.com/46ruUqNCyb
—Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) February 26, 2026
Separately, during a visit to Rome, Naqvi met his counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece on the sidelines of a four-nation conference on illegal migration. European ministers praised Pakistan’s measures and supported Islamabad’s proposal to block irregular migration through structured legal channels.
In a key development, the countries agreed that the European Union would enhance Pakistan’s capacity-building efforts and fully support institutions working against illegal immigration. The parties also decided to adopt a comprehensive multi-level strategy against human trafficking and drug smuggling, develop a joint policy framework and repatriate criminals involved in serious crimes from Europe to Pakistan for legal action.
The ministers further agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest and establish a rapid response mechanism for coordinated action, while deciding to hold the next meeting in Pakistan later this year.
