LONDON: Britain has praised Pakistan government’s efforts to eliminate the menace of illegal immigration.
This was expressed by British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pakistan, Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan Hamish Falconer during their meeting with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary in London.
Hamish Falconer noted that positive outcomes are beginning to emerge from the meeting held with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi a few months ago.
Talal Chaudhry highlighted Pakistan’s collaborative strategy on border security, counterterrorism, and human trafficking. He stressed the need for measures to promote legal and regulated immigration.
The minister also held meetings with the interior ministers of Germany, Spain, Austria and Poland to discuss border security.
In August last year British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper during his meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reiterated the commitment to continue to cooperate with Pakistan in various fields.
They discussed effective border management, training of Pakistani police officers in the UK and measures to deal with illegal immigrants.
Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said we will welcome British cooperation in imparting training to Pakistani police officers. He stressed for greater cooperation to combat illegal immigration.
Pakistan and UK had also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to improve coordination between their law enforcement agencies in fighting illegal migration and drugs.
The UK signed a major deal with Pakistan in 2022 under which foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK can be returned to Pakistan.
Pakistan and the UK share a deep-rooted relationship shaped by historical ties, trade, and a large Pakistani diaspora in the UK. In 2024, Pakistan ranked as the UK’s 51st largest trade partner, while the UK was Pakistan’s third-largest, after China and the United States.
Additionally, the UK is the third-largest source of remittances to Pakistan, following Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Last month, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had also expressed the desire to work for more robust relations with the UK.
