ISLAMABAD: Three Euro­pean countries — Italy, Spain and Greece — and Pakistan reached a consensus on Thursday to promote legal pathways to “effectively combat illegal migration”, according to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The consensus was reached at a four-nation conference in Rome, Mr Naqvi said in a post on X, adding that ministers from Italy, Spain and Greece attended the meeting.

“Productive meeting in Rome with my counterparts from Italy, Spain and Greece at the four-nation conference on curbing illegal migration.

“Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy against illegal migration, human smuggling and narcotics, including a joint policy framework and rapid-response mechanism,” he said.

Criminals involved in ‘serious offences’ to be repatriated to Pakistan for legal proceedings

The interior minister said that a consensus was also reached at the conference on “promoting legal pathways to effectively counter illegal migration (and) repatriation of criminals to face the law”.

“European partners appreciated Pakistan’s strong actions, noting a 47 per cent reduction in illegal migration, and agreed on enhanced European Union-sup­ported capacity building,” he said.

Separately, a statement by the interior ministry also said that the three European countries endorsed Mr Naqvi’s proposal of establishing legal pathways as a strategy to combat illegal migration and human smuggling during the conference.

Italy’s Interior Minister Mat­t­eo Piantedosi, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Greece’s Migr­ation Minister Athanasios Ple­vris agreed that creating regulated legal channels for migration was the “most effective way to dismantle the networks of human smugglers and discourage dangerous irregular journeys”.

Agreeing with Mr Naqvi’s pro­posal to curb illegal migration through legal pathways, they also decided to “extend full support” to Pakistan for capacity building via the European Union.

The participants also agreed to adopt a “coordinated strategy at all levels to combat illegal migration”, and a joint policy framework was finalised to cou­nter illegal migration, human smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

It was agreed that criminals involved in “serious offences” would be repatriated from Europe to Pakistan to face legal proceedings.

The four ministers stressed the need for strengthening coordination and enhancing a joint and rapid response mechanism to curb illegal migration, the statement said, adding that they also decided to hold the next meeting in Pakistan later this year.

It quoted Mr Naqvi as telling the European ministers that mafias involved in illegal migration had been brought under the law. He noted that Europe was one of the most affected regions by illegal migration and stressed that a coordinated mechanism could effectively address this challenge.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2026