UNODC holds conference: Pakistan forms comprehensive plan to counter smuggling of migrants: minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in close collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), financially supported by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) and the European Union (EU), has devised a comprehensive plan to counter the smuggling of migrants.

This was stated by the State Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, Talal Chaudhry, while addressing a high-level international conference organised by the UNODC on countering the smuggling of migrants.

Chaudhry emphasised, “The tragedy of the Greece boat incident in 2023 exposed the scale and ruthlessness of the transnational nature of illegal migration.”

He elaborated that since then, Pakistan has proactively strengthened its national response mechanisms to prevent and deter human smuggling, which urgently needs coordinated action. He said that Pakistan, after the Greece incident, has made several amendments in relevant laws, including the launch of a robust National Action Plan (NAP) and the establishment of a Risk Analysis Unit (RAU).

Participants examined emerging trends in migrant smuggling, operational challenges, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation to dismantle transnational criminal networks.

The conference reinforced regional and international coordination and laid the groundwork for thematic commitments aligned with the UN Convention against transnational organised crime and its supplementary protocols.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Pakistan, Philipp Oliver Gross, reinforced that “the EU remains committed to taking robust action to tackle the common challenge of migrant smuggling.”

“This is possible only in a joint effort to strengthen collective action with international partners in a ‘whole of route’ approach. For this, the EU launched the Global Alliance in 2023 to counter migrant smuggling with a global ambition.

The second international conference of the Global Alliance will take place in December 2025 in Brussels. The EU delegation said that they were very pleased about Pakistan’s engagement and look forward to building on the exchanges of this conference to continue to prevent the loss of lives of people venturing onto dangerous migratory journeys. This conference is a testament to our commitment to working together with other countries to overcome the challenges posed by migrant smuggling networks.”

Furthermore, the Acting Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Nabeel Munir, said, “Pakistan recognised the need for a balanced and comprehensive approach to effectively address the smuggling of migrants. While there is focus on law enforcement, return and reintegration, an equal focus needs to be placed on expanding legal migration pathways to reduce the risk of perpetuating a cycle of illegal migration and ensure orderly and regular migration as enshrined in the Global Compact of Migration.”

UNODC Regional Representative, Dr Oliver Stolpe, underscored the global stakes: “Smuggling networks are agile, digitally enabled, and unconstrained by borders. This conference provides an essential platform to replace fragmented efforts with coordinated action that saves lives.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025