Stacy
17th January, ISLAMABAD: More than 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned after a boat capsized off the Atlantic coast of West Africa, a major departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.
The tragedy occurred near Dakhla, a Moroccan-controlled port city in Western Sahara. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the boat, carrying 80 passengers, including Pakistanis, departed from Mauritania on January 2 before capsizing. Survivors, including some Pakistanis, are currently in a camp near Dakhla, with officials from Pakistan’s Embassy in Morocco offering assistance.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the incident, emphasizing the urgent need to curb human trafficking. The Spain-based migrant rights group Walking Borders reported that 50 migrants died, including 44 Pakistanis, en route to the Canary Islands.
This marks another grim reminder of the risks faced by migrants seeking better opportunities. In 2023, an overcrowded fishing boat carrying 350 Pakistanis sank off Greece, resulting in many deaths in one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest incidents.
Pakistan has launched a crackdown on human smugglers, but the perilous journeys persist. Every year, hundreds of Pakistanis lose their lives attempting to reach Europe via land and sea routes facilitated by trafficking networks.
The Foreign Ministry has yet to provide an exact death toll for the recent tragedy, and investigations are ongoing. The incident highlights the need for stricter enforcement against trafficking and more robust international cooperation to address the migrant crisis.
Keep reading questiqa.com & questiqa.in for more updates.
Kathy
Olivia
