On 2-6 September 2024, ICMPD Silk Routes Regional Office conducted a mission to Pakistan, led by the Head of Region, Silk Routes, Ms. Marija Raus. The mission marked significant advancements in ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation between ICMPD and the Government of Pakistan, strengthen existing partnerships with national partners and stakeholders, and explore new avenues for collaboration in the areas of migration management, migration governance and border management.
Several key meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) reinforced mutual trust and shared goals between ICMPD and the Government of Pakistan.
The mission also featured the launching of key project milestones including the inauguration of the Three Lines of Border Control Concept with the Immigration Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the framework of the Danish funded Rights Based Border Management in the Silk Routes Countries Project and the full operationalisation of a Risk Analysis Unit at the FIA Headquarters with support of the European Union (EU) and Austria under the RAPAK project. The launching of the Soft Skills Training Manual in partnership with the Overseas Employment Corporation under the EU funded PROTECT project also marks significant strides towards empowering Pakistan’s migrant workforce.
New relationships were forged with the signing of MoUs with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) in Lahore and Hazza Institute. These collaborations aim to promote safe, legal, and orderly migration practices nationwide.
To improve coordination with international partners and donors, the visiting delegation and members of ICMPD’s Pakistan Field Office engaged with the EU Delegation and embassies of the Netherlands, Norway, and Australia. These discussions focused on enhancing program impact and exploring further collaboration opportunities.
A roundtable discussion on the sustainable reintegration of return migrants with national stakeholders was organised to discuss challenges, evaluate capacity issues and explore potential opportunities in this sector.
The mission concluded with strategic meetings with the staff of the Pakistan Field Office and ICMPD’s Migrant Resource Centres. This provided an opportunity to take stock of progress made, celebrate important milestones and set the direction for the future.
