PM Shehbaz Sharif seeks report and ordered strict action against elements involved in human trafficking
(NEWS DESK) – The tragic incident involving migrants attempting to reach Spain from West Africa may have claimed the lives of up to 50 people, including 44 Pakistanis, according to the migrant rights group Walking Borders.
The group reported on Thursday the boat, which departed from Mauritania on January 2, carried 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis.
However, Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from the boat on Wednesday.
Walking Borders, based in Madrid and Navarra, informed that the boat had gone missing for days before the alarm was raised.
Read also: PM orders arrest of all human traffickers in a week!
Six days ago, the group had informed authorities in all involved countries about the boat’s disappearance.
The non-governmental organization, Alarm Phone, which helps migrants lost at sea, also contacted Spain’s maritime rescue service on January 12, but the service reportedly had no information about the boat.
Walking Borders has compiled a record number of deaths in 2024, with 10,457 migrants—roughly 30 per day—dying while attempting to reach Spain, mostly along the Atlantic route from West African countries like Mauritania and Senegal.
Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, shares on social media 44 of the victims are from Pakistan.
Fernando Clavijo, the regional leader of the Canary Islands, expressed his deep sorrow and called on Spain and Europe to take urgent action to prevent further loss of life.
“The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa,” Clavijo said on social media platform X, urging international leaders to address the growing humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragic boat accident in Spain that claimed the lives of 40 Pakistanis and demanded a report from the relevant authorities.
In a statement from his office, the Prime Minister extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the elevation of their souls.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of several Pakistanis in the migrant boat accident and stated that the embassy is in contact with local authorities.
The embassy in Morocco reported that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistanis, capsized near the Dakhla port in Morocco, having set off from Mauritania as the survivors, including Pakistanis, are currently residing in a camp near Dakhla.
The Foreign Ministry has activated its Crisis Management Unit and dispatched a team to Dakhla to provide assistance.
The Foreign Ministry has also released contact details for assistance:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islamabad: 051-9207887, Email: cmu1@mofa.gov.pk
Pakistani Embassy Rabat: Rabia Kasuri (Charge d’Affaires) +212 689 52 23 65, Nauman Ali (Consular Assistant) +92 310 2204672.
