Pakistan, EU agree to enhance cooperation for resolving migration issues

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos agreed during a meeting in Islamabad on Monday that Pakistan and the EU will enhance cooperation to manage the current migration and security issues.
The interior minister shared Pakistan’s concern over the irregularities in the implementation of the Re-admission Agreement, signed between Pakistan and the EU in 2009. Both sides agreed to work together to find solutions to technical problems regarding the agreement and resolving the issues pertaining to its implementation. It was decided that the meeting of the Joint Readmission Committee will take place in Brussels on January 12, 2016 to immediately resolve the above mentioned issues.
The two parties welcomed the establishment of an electronic platform which would enhance speedy and transparent processing of Readmission applications.
Commissioner Avramopoulos also announced that the European Commission will set up funding to support the reintegration of Pakistani migrants returning from the EU and will continue to support the internally displaced/uprooted persons in Pakistan. In addition, the European Commission will provide funding for targeted projects on preventing and countering migrant smuggling in Pakistan.
Both sides welcomed the launch of an information campaign on the dangers of irregular migration, the opening of two migration information centres in Islamabad and Lahore and the future deployment of a European Migration Liaison Officer to the EU Delegation to Pakistan. Both parties will explore further possible EU support for projects and programmes in this area.
Work on medium and long-term priorities, relating to the next Joint Readmission Committee (JRC), as well as EU’s broader engagement with Pakistan including legal migration and mobility and the EU’s engagement to support Pakistan in the context of the Silk Route Partnership were discussed. Counter-terrorism and cooperation in the field of drugs was also addressed.Both parties undertook the commitment to continue to work closely together on priorities in the future.
Meanwhile, a delegation of members of the British House of Lords led by Lord Nazir Ahmed called on Chaudhry Nisar here at the Punjab House on Tuesday and discussed matters of mutual interest focusing on the Pak-UK relations and the overseas Pakistanis living there.
The delegation also included Stuart Hyde, expert on cyber,Laura Lakin, Research Assistant House of Lords, David Holdsworth, Senior Civil Servant, and Martin Stuart Allen Hyde, Geologist and Environmental Analyst.
Talking to the delegation, Chaudhry Nisar said the government was striving hard to resolve the problems being faced by the overseas Pakistanis and assured that all government departments would be activated in this regard.
“The overseas Pakistanis are our assets and government would continue its all possible efforts to take up their problems at every forum,” he remarked.
Lord Nazir in his remarks lauded the personal efforts of Chaudhry Nisar for resolving the problems being faced by the overseas Pakistanis.