Poland Voices Concern Over Human Smuggling Through Belarus as Islamabad Dialogue Expands Bilateral Cooperation
Poland has raised serious concerns over the growing issue of illegal human smuggling from Belarus into European countries, including Poland, during a high-level policy forum in Islamabad. The Polish Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Maciej Pisarski, highlighted that Polish border authorities had intercepted nearly twenty-seven thousand attempts to cross the border from Belarus in the past year, signalling a worrying trend for regional and European security.
The discussion took place at a forum organized by the media group “Pakistan in the World” at Islamabad Club, where the ambassador briefed participants on recent engagements between Polish and Pakistani officials. Delegations led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Poland, Mr. Radosław Sikorski, and Deputy Interior Minister Mr. Maciej Duszczyk held detailed meetings in Islamabad to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to transforming bilateral ties into a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership.
Participants welcomed the growing diplomatic momentum between the two countries and expressed optimism that the renewed engagement would expand economic cooperation that has already surpassed the one-billion-dollar mark. Poland currently invests over five hundred million dollars in Pakistan’s oil and gas sector, contributing nearly one-fifth of the country’s energy needs. Speakers at the forum emphasized the vast untapped potential in trade, investment, infrastructure, technology and defence collaboration, noting that bilateral ties were progressing on a positive trajectory.
The forum, hosted by Mr. Tazeen Akhtar, was attended by selected diplomats, professionals and media representatives. Portugal’s Political Counsellor, Mr. David Arcao, also participated in the discussion. Ambassador Pisarski briefed attendees on the agreements reached during the high-level meetings, including commitments to expand cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure development, defence, counter-terrorism, science, technology and education. Both countries also signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a framework for regular bilateral consultations to strengthen institutional communication.
Ambassador Pisarski also noted Poland’s rise as a trillion dollar economy and highlighted Pakistan’s interest in partnering with Poland on public finance systems, fintech solutions and water management. A key development was the meeting between Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister, where the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation on illegal immigration, border security and mutual legal assistance, and to improve operational-level coordination to curb cross-border crimes.
Speakers at the forum endorsed Pakistan’s firm stance on illegal immigration and praised the government’s crackdown on trafficking networks. They stressed the importance of stopping human smuggling while ensuring that genuine visa holders are not unfairly targeted or offloaded at airports. The ambassador acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen coastal security and highlighted the need for sustained cooperation to dismantle criminal networks exploiting vulnerable individuals.
During his lecture in Islamabad, Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski underscored that neighbouring countries such as Russia and Belarus had been facilitating or ignoring people-smuggling activities aimed at destabilising European borders. He described these tactics as a form of hybrid warfare that exposes migrants to severe dangers. He emphasized that while Poland maintains strict zero-tolerance policies toward illegal migration, it remains fully open to legal migration channels, including international students seeking real academic opportunities.
Ambassador Pisarski added that the Polish Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the contributions of the Pakistani diaspora in Poland, which has been gradually growing. Although still modest in size around two thousand people a significant portion comprises Pakistani students pursuing higher education in Polish universities. The ambassador noted that these young individuals act as informal ambassadors of their country, strengthening people-to-people diplomacy and fostering long-term friendships between the two nations.
