Rome, February 25, 2026: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday met his Italian counterpart Matteo Piantedosi in Rome, where the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation on internal security and measures to curb illegal immigration.
During the meeting, the Italian Interior Minister announced that Italy will issue 10,500 work visas for Pakistan’s skilled workforce as part of efforts to promote legal migration. At the request of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Italy also agreed to grant visa exemption to holders of Pakistani diplomatic passports. The Italian minister recalled that the issue of visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders had been discussed in a previous meeting.
Both ministers held detailed discussions on strengthening cooperation in combating narcotics trafficking, human smuggling and terrorism. They appreciated ongoing joint efforts aimed at preventing illegal immigration and dismantling human smuggling networks.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi briefed his counterpart on the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to curb illegal immigration, highlighting strict monitoring at airports and maritime borders, which he said had resulted in a significant decline in unlawful migration.
The Italian Interior Minister praised the policies of Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and commended Pakistani institutions for their achievements in addressing illegal immigration, human smuggling and drug trafficking. Both sides agreed to further enhance cooperation to encourage legal migration and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
During the meeting, officers of the Punjab Police briefed participants on the Police Khidmat Markaz Global initiative, which was highly appreciated by the Italian side for its utility and effectiveness.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed, Director General Federal Investigation Agency Usman Anwar, Managing Director Punjab Safe City Authority Ahsan Younas, and senior police officers Abid Khan and Sohail Chaudhry were also present at the meeting.
