UK announces new immigration system for Pakistan

• Top British official visits Pakistan on a two-day tour and meets officials of Ministry of Interior and associated agencies.
• Discusses shared priorities and future cooperation between the two countries.
• Affirms bilateral ties between Pakistan and United Kingdom.

The UK government on Wednesday announced a new immigration system to enable the "best and brightest" to visit UK to study, work or live.

According to a statement from the British High Commission, British Permanent Home Secretary Matthew Rycroft, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, made the announcement for UK Home Office’s new immigration system that will "level the global playing field" for the people willing to travel to the UK.

The UK and Pakistan have a long and shared history that is bolstered by the 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in the UK that is at the heart of the ties between the two countries, and it is these people to people ties that make Pakistan a particularly important partner for the UK Home Office, the statement said.

“These ties are reliant on an effective and well-functioning migration relationship and the UK is committed to strengthening our visa routes and facilitating those wishing to travel between the two countries,” the statement quoted Rycroft as saying.

It said that the Pakistani students will benefit from the new graduate routes, providing an excellent opportunity for them to enter into skilled roles in the UK job market.

Rycroft said that the Home Office is delivering an immigration system that offers clear opportunities to the "brightest and best" from Pakistan to come to the UK to study, work and live.

Moreover, the top official in a range of engagements and meetings at the Ministry of Interior and associated agencies, discussed the shared priorities and future cooperation between the two countries to affirm bilateral ties.

He conferred challenges affecting operational cooperation and identified areas of mutual interest to expand collaboration.

Highlighting the ground-breaking collaboration between Metropolitan Police and Pakistani authorities last year, which resulted in getting justice for the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, Rycroft expressed his desire to work closely with the government of Pakistan to tackle shared threats and bring criminals to justice.

On recent developments in Afghanistan, Rycroft discussed various security issues including narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and illicit finance.

This is the second visit of a senior British representative to Pakistan in the last three months.

Former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab visited Islamabad in early September and met senior Pakistani leaders including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.