Poland has raised alarm over a surge in illegal crossings from Belarus, with its embassy in Islamabad reporting nearly 27,000 intercepted attempts last year. At a policy forum organised by Pakistan in the World at Islamabad Club, Ambassador Maciej Pisarski warned that this pattern of human smuggling poses major regional and European security risks and requires coordinated action.
Delegations led by Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski and Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk held detailed talks with Pakistani counterparts to broaden cooperation across multiple sectors. Participants described the meetings as a step toward converting diplomatic momentum into a comprehensive partnership, and a memorandum of understanding was signed to establish regular bilateral consultations and stronger institutional communication.
Speakers noted that bilateral economic ties have already surpassed the one-billion-dollar mark, with Poland investing more than five hundred million dollars in Pakistan’s oil and gas sector, meeting nearly one-fifth of the country’s energy requirements. Officials emphasised opportunities to deepen collaboration in trade, infrastructure, technology, defence and education while building frameworks that support legal migration and student mobility.
Security cooperation emerged as a central theme after a meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister. Both sides agreed to enhance operational coordination to curb cross-border crimes, improve mutual legal assistance and tighten border security to combat illegal immigration and trafficking networks. Forum speakers applauded Pakistan’s crackdown on trafficking while urging care to ensure genuine visa holders and students are not unfairly penalised.
Delegation leaders cautioned that neighbours such as Russia and Belarus have, at times, facilitated or turned a blind eye to people-smuggling operations aimed at destabilising European borders, describing such tactics as a form of hybrid warfare that endangers migrants. Poland reiterated a strict zero-tolerance policy toward illegal migration while remaining open to legal migration channels, including international students seeking legitimate academic opportunities. Ambassador Pisarski highlighted the growing Pakistani community in Poland, roughly two thousand strong, with many students acting as informal ambassadors and strengthening people-to-people ties.
Speakers at the forum called for sustained cooperation to dismantle criminal networks exploiting vulnerable populations and stressed that joint efforts on border security, intelligence sharing and legal frameworks are essential to address the complex challenge of human smuggling. Participants expressed optimism that expanded coordination will protect migrants, safeguard borders and unlock further economic and educational links between Poland and Pakistan.
