ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Government of Pakistan, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the financial support from the Migration Multi Partner Trust Fund (Migration MPTF) and the European Union, convened a high-level International Conference on Countering the Smuggling of Migrants from 26-27 November 2025 in Islamabad.
The two-day conference brought together senior officials and experts from more than 30 countries, as well as representatives from INTERPOL, FRONTEX, ICMPD, and other national and international institutions. Participants examined emerging trends in migrant smuggling, operational challenges, and opportunities to strengthen cooperation to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
Building on the momentum of the 2024 Regional Cooperation Workshop, organized by the UNODC, the conference reinforced regional and international coordination and laid the groundwork for thematic commitments aligned with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary protocols.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Pakistan, Philipp Oliver Gross reinforced that “the EU remains committed to take 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 in 2023 the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling with a world-wide ambition. The second international conference of the Global Alliance will take place in December 2025 in Brussels. We are 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”.
In his closing keynote, Pakistan’s State Minister of Interior & Narcotics Control, Mr. Talal Chaudhry emphasized, “The tragedy of the Greece boat incident in 2023 exposed the scale and ruthlessness of the transnational nature of illegal migration. Since then, Pakistan has proactively strengthened its national response mechanisms to prevent and deter human smuggling, addressing the urgent need for coordinated action. Amendments have been made in relevant laws, including launch of a robust National Action Plan, and establishing a Risk Analysis Unit. This conference is a testament to our commitment to work together with other countries to overcome the challenges posed by migrant smuggling networks.”
Furthermore, the Acting Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Nabeel Munir, highlighted, “We recognize 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. Our exchanges reaffirm a powerful message: while our challenges are shared, so too is our determination to confront them collectively.”
IOM Pakistan Chief of Mission, Ms. Mio Sato emphasized “When people are left without options, exploitation occurs. We must close that gap by expanding regular migration pathways, building people’s skills, and ensuring access to accurate and reliable information.”
Throughout the two days, participants reviewed progress since the 2024 Regional Workshop and advanced new priorities for joint action. Key outcomes included:
- Commitment to establish an informal Peer-to-Peer Network to facilitate real-time cooperation among practitioners.
- A mapping of national and regional challenges to guide cooperation.
- Endorsement of thematic commitments, including fraudulent documentation, digitally enabled smuggling, border vulnerabilities, and victim-centered protection.
The Head of the Migration MPTF Management Unit, Philippe Grandet, highlighted that the conference and, more broadly, the work supported by the Fund in Pakistan illustrates the integrated, multi-partner approach envisaged under the Global Compact for Migration, particularly Objective 9 on strengthening the transnational response to smuggling of migrants. He expressed hope that this experience will serve as a model for other countries seeking to strengthen their response in the region and beyond.
The conference concluded with a renewed commitment to collective action, strengthened international cooperation, and practical steps to reinforce regional and international mechanisms to prevent and counter the smuggling of migrants.
