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- More than 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned while attempting to reach European shores
- Pakistan has intensified efforts against human smugglers who facilitate journeys for illegal migrants
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar on Saturday instructed the government to provide timely assistance to the victims of a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Morocco, where more than 40 nationals of his country are feared to have drowned while attempting to reach European shores.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed on Thursday that a migrant boat with 80 passengers on board, including several Pakistanis, had capsized near Morocco en route to Spain.
According to Moroccan authorities, 36 people were rescued on Wednesday from the vessel, which had departed Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants on board, including 66 Pakistanis, according to minority rights group Walking Borders.
The group’s CEO, Helena Maleno, said 44 of the 50 presumed dead were from Pakistan. The boat was reportedly heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands when it capsized.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister (FM), held a meeting in Islamabad earlier in the day to review the situation.
“The DPM/FM issued instructions for coordination of government response and asked the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to ensure provision of efficient and timely assistance to the Pakistani victims of the tragedy,” the foreign office said in a social media post.
Media reports claim almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern Punjab province.
Ahsan Shahzad, father of Suffian Ali, one of the victims of a migrant boat that capsized in West Africa’s Atlantic coastline, is consoled by relatives at his home in the village of Dhola, Lalamusa district, Pakistan on January 17, 2024. (AP)
The government has intensified its efforts in recent months against human smugglers who facilitate perilous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe and has made several arrests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for enhanced cooperation with international agencies, seeking swift action against human trafficking networks.
Ahsan Shahzad, shows a picture of his son, Suffian Ali, one of the victims of a migrant boat that capsized in West Africa’s Atlantic coastline, on his cell phone at his home in the village of Dhola, Lalamusa district, Pakistan on January 17, 2024. (AP)
He has also instructed the Federal Investigation Agency to compile a detailed report on migration-related incidents over the past year and implement an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor and prevent illegal movement.
The incident near Morocco once again highlighted the perilous journeys many migrants, particularly Pakistanis, undertake due to conflict and economic instability in their home country.
Mohammad Akram, left, father of Abu Bakar, one of the victims of a migrant boat that capsized in West Africa’s Atlantic coastline, is consoled by relatives at his home, in Jura village, in the Lalamusa district in Pakistan on January 17, 2024. (AP)
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos.
It was among the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Mohammad Akram shows a picture of his son Abu Bakar, one of the victims of a migrant boat that capsized in West Africa’s Atlantic coastline, on his cell phone at his home, in Jura village, in the Lalamusa district in Pakistan on January 17, 2024. (AP)