UK announces £8m more for joint anti-illegal migration work with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: British minister Hamish Falconer has announced an additional £8 million to support joint UK-Pakistan efforts against crime and illegal migration during meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership in Islamabad, according to a statement issued by the British High Commission.

Falconer, the UK parliamentary under-secretary of state for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, also thanked Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for Pakistan’s role in facilitating diplomatic efforts that led to the US-Iran agreement. The British side said the two countries also reviewed regional developments, Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, structural reforms, fiscal priorities, institutional modernisation and areas for stronger economic cooperation.

Funding package and enforcement cooperation

The new funding is intended to strengthen cooperation on illegal migration to Britain by addressing the factors that drive irregular journeys. According to the statement, the package will be used to improve border management and visa systems and provide technical expertise to Pakistani law-enforcement agencies to help disrupt human-smuggling and trafficking networks.

The programme will also support the return of people who do not have a legal right to remain in the UK and fund community-based initiatives in areas seen as vulnerable to illegal migration. It will focus on better identity verification and information-sharing mechanisms, stronger investigative capacity against smuggling networks and wider prevention efforts aimed at reducing the risk of exploitation.

During the visit, Falconer witnessed a live demonstration of joint law-enforcement operations targeting illegal migration. The UK-backed initiative enables Pakistani authorities to identify and stop non-genuine visa holders at airports so that only eligible travellers and students proceed to Britain.

Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy

The UK welcomed the agreement between the United States and Iran after intensive negotiations involving several partners, including Pakistan. The British side said Falconer reiterated the UK’s commitment to stability in the Middle East and said Britain would continue working with partners, including Pakistan, to support efforts for lasting peace in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Falconer said the US-Iran agreement had created an important opening for regional stability and thanked Pakistan for backing diplomatic efforts.

“The UK-Pakistan partnership is critical for safeguarding global, regional and British national security through close cooperation agai­nst terrorist threats, visa fraud and serious organised crime,” he said. “We are taking this partnership to a new level through additional funding aimed at deterring illegal migration and addressing its causes at the source.”

He also appreciated Pakistan’s role in facilitating negotiations and said the UK and its international partners would keep working to support regional stability and ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Broader bilateral engagement

Separately, Falconer met Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb at the Finance Division to discuss different aspects of bilateral cooperation. Both sides renewed their commitment to strengthening cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.