UK pledges £8M to Pakistan to tackle illegal migration

The support will also help facilitate the return of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK.

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has pledged an additional £8 million to Pakistan to enhance joint efforts against organized crime and illegal migration, focusing on strengthening border and visa systems and improving law enforcement capacity to disrupt people-smuggling and trafficking networks.

The British High Commission said that the funding commitment was announced by UK Minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan Hamish Falconer during his visit to Islamabad.

According to the statement, the support will also help facilitate the return of individuals with no legal right to remain in the UK and fund community-based initiatives in high-risk areas aimed at addressing the root causes of irregular migration.

It added that the program will improve identity verification and information-sharing systems, boost investigative capacity targeting smuggling networks, and expand prevention efforts designed to reduce vulnerability to exploitation.

Falconer described the UK–Pakistan partnership as “critical” for protecting both global and UK national security, citing shared efforts to combat terrorism, visa fraud, and serious organized crime.

“We are taking this partnership and our cooperation to a new level, with additional funding to deter illegal migration and target drivers from the source,” he said.

During his visit, Falconer also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s role in facilitating recent diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran.

He called the reported US–Iran understanding “a hugely significant moment,” adding that the UK and Pakistan should continue working together to support long-term regional stability and peace efforts, including work related to the Strait of Hormuz.