EU Commissioner in Pakistan: Irregular Migration Down 64%, No New Work Visa Announced
EU Commissioner Brunner met Pakistan's President, PM and Interior Minister on 13 October. See the 64% claim, the legal gateway request and what has not changed.
European Union Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Both sides said irregular migration from Pakistan to Europe has fallen 64 percent, and Pakistan asked the EU for more legal routes for skilled workers. No new visa scheme or quota was announced.
This is Brunner's first visit to Pakistan. The talks covered migrant smuggling, border management and legal migration. For a Pakistani who wants to work in Europe, the useful point is simple: the legal routes did not change today, and the only safe way to go is still through a visa or permit that an employer or embassy issues.
We read the press statements of the President Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office and the Interior Ministry, as carried by Pakistan's state media, on 13 October 2026. The EU Commission had not published its own readout when we checked.
The EU and Pakistan agreed to work closer on migration
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on immigration, institutional coordination and border management. They also agreed to work together on the EU's Eastern Corridor Initiative, which is aimed at stopping illegal migration. The meetings did not announce any new legal visa category.
The Prime Minister's Office said Shehbaz Sharif told Brunner that efforts against irregular migration should be matched by "practical opportunities for safe, orderly and regular migration." He said wider legal routes for Pakistani skilled workers would help meet Europe's labour needs and leave fewer people open to smugglers.
Brunner thanked Pakistan for its measures and said he expects them to help widen legal migration and mutual labour movement, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
Both sides cite a 64 percent fall in irregular migration
The 64 percent figure comes up in the President's and the Interior Minister's statements. The President Secretariat said it is based on EU figures for the last 18 months. Naqvi said the next target is to end illegal migration completely.
| Official | What the statement says |
|---|---|
| President Zardari | Irregular migration from Pakistan fell 64% in 18 months, per EU figures; Pakistan has readmitted over 30,000 people under the EU readmission agreement |
| Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif | Legal routes for skilled workers should match the crackdown on smuggling |
| Interior Minister Naqvi | Zero tolerance for illegal migration; next target is to eliminate it |
| Commissioner Brunner | Called the 64% fall commendable and praised the FIA |
We did not see the underlying EU data behind the 64 percent figure. We report it as the figure the officials gave, not as a number we checked.
Pakistan asked for a legal gateway office and more skilled routes
The President Secretariat said President Zardari hopes the EU will consider a European Legal Gateway Office in Pakistan. He also welcomed the wider EU Talent Partnerships framework and asked for more chances for skilled workers, including circular migration, where a worker goes for a period and returns.
The President also said Pakistan has asked the EU to help build the capacity of the Pakistan Coast Guards and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against migrant smuggling.
The next round of the Pakistan-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue is expected in Brussels early next year, according to the same statement. It is a request and a plan, not a decision. The EU has not said yes to the gateway office.
What changes today for a Pakistani who wants to work in Europe
Nothing changes today. The statements describe an intention to widen legal routes, with no date, no quota and no fee. Any offer of an "EU work visa through the new agreement" is false at this point.
Use the checks that already protect you:
- Confirm the employer is real and ask for a written offer.
- Apply only for a visa that the country's embassy or visa centre issues, as set out for Schengen visas from Pakistan.
- Check that any agent holds a licence before you pay, using the steps to check an overseas job agency.
- Do not pay anyone for a place on a "talent partnership" list. We found no such public list.
| Claim you may hear | What the 13 October statements show |
|---|---|
| "A new EU work visa has started" | Not announced |
| "An EU office in Pakistan will take applications" | Pakistan asked the EU to consider one; no decision |
| "Quota for Pakistani workers" | No quota mentioned |
| "Illegal migration fell" | Officials cite a 64% fall, from EU figures |
Why the warning on smuggling still matters
The 64 percent drop is a national figure. It does not mean the risk to an individual is gone. Smuggling routes to Europe still take lives, and the Commissioner himself pointed to the dangerous journeys that cost many their lives.
Pakistan's own rules also protect workers who go abroad legally, including registration with the Protector of Emigrants. See how to get emigrant protection before you work abroad. For job scams that use big names, the same warning applies to offers in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.
The government's wider emigration plans are in Pakistan's emigration policy 2026.
Common questions
Did the EU announce a new visa for Pakistani workers?
No. The statements we read mention talks on legal migration only. They give no new visa, quota or date.
What is the 64 percent figure?
It is the reduction in irregular migration from Pakistan to Europe that officials cited, which the President said is based on EU figures over 18 months. We did not see the underlying data.
What is a European Legal Gateway Office?
It is the kind of office President Zardari asked the EU to consider in Pakistan to help match workers with European jobs by legal routes. The EU has not agreed to open one.
When is the next Pakistan EU migration dialogue?
The President's statement says it is expected in Brussels early next year. No date has been announced.
Can I pay an agent to get on an EU talent list?
No. We found no public list to join, and nothing in the statements creates one. Treat such an offer as a scam.
Where do I check a real job offer in Europe?
Ask for a written contract from the employer, then apply through the embassy or visa centre of that country. Do not rely on a social media post.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the statements of the President Secretariat, the Prime Minister's Office and the Interior Ministry on the Commissioner's visit, as carried by Pakistan's state media on the same day. For EU migration policy in general, see the European Commission migration and asylum pages. We did not find an EU readout of the visit, and we could not verify the 64 percent figure.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
