IslamabadA migrant boat carrying 80 passengers capsized off Morocco, with 40 Pakistanis reportedly among the dead, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Thursday.
According to migrant rights group Walking Borders, the tragedy came after the boat, which left Mauritania on January 2, spent 13 days at sea without rescue. Moroccan authorities managed to rescue 36 passengers a day earlier, while 44 others, including 40 Pakistanis, are feared to have drowned.
The group’s CEO, Helena Malino, said the ship was attempting the perilous journey to Spain’s Canary Islands. “They spent 13 days at the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them,” he said.
The FO’s press release indicated that the Pakistani embassy in Rabat is actively coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance to survivors, many of whom are now staying in a camp near Dakhla. A team has been dispatched from the embassy to help the affected citizens.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a detailed report of the incident and stressed on strict measures against human trafficking. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for this heinous crime. He said that any kind of negligence will not be tolerated.
The tragedy has sparked calls for massive action to prevent such incidents. Former President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and stressed the importance of a comprehensive effort to combat human trafficking networks.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service said it was alerted to the missing boat on January 10 but could not confirm if it was the same boat. NGOs, including Walking Borders and AlarmPhone, had previously alerted authorities six days before a boat capsized.
According to Walking Borders, in 2024 alone, a record 10,457 migrants died trying to reach Spain, the vast majority on the dangerous Atlantic crossing from West Africa to the Canary Islands.
Canary Islands regional leader Fernando Clavejo called for urgent action to tackle the crisis. He said that the Atlantic Ocean cannot become the graveyard of Africa. “Spain and Europe must not turn away from this humanitarian drama.”
This is a developing story.
