Over 40 Pakistanis Feared Dead in Boat Tragedy While Attempting to Reach Spain from West Africa
Islamabad/Madrid, January 16 : A tragic incident has unfolded as more than 40 Pakistani nationals attempting to reach Spain via a boat from West Africa are feared to have drowned. According to reports by Pakistani media outlets The News International and Geo News, migrant rights group Walking Borders confirmed the news on Thursday.
Details of the Incident
- The boat, which departed from Mauritania on January 2, was carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis.
- Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from the vessel on Wednesday near the Moroccan port of Dakhla.
- Walking Borders revealed that they had alerted relevant authorities six days earlier about the missing boat.
Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, stated in a social media post that 44 Pakistanis are believed to have drowned. She highlighted the harrowing ordeal of the migrants, who spent 13 days in distress without any rescue efforts reaching them.
Rising Death Toll of Migrants
According to Walking Borders, 10,457 migrants attempting to reach Spain died in 2024, many of whom perished while crossing the Atlantic route from Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands.
Pakistanโs Response
- The Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed that the boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Dakhla.
- Pakistan has dispatched a team from its embassy in Rabat, Morocco, to provide assistance to affected citizens.
- A crisis management unit has been activated to coordinate rescue and support efforts.
Reactions and Condemnation
- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.
- PM Sharif warned of strict action against human traffickers, calling the act โheinous.โ
- President Zardari urged for effective measures to combat human trafficking.
Human Trafficking Claims
Relatives of the victims revealed that the boat departed on January 2. Allegedly, human traffickers stranded the boat in the sea, demanding additional payments from the migrants.
NGO Alarm Phone, which provides emergency phone lines for migrants in distress, reported that they had alerted Spanish maritime rescue services about the boat on January 12. However, Spanish authorities claimed to have no information about the vessel.
