Pakistan Reader# 627, 19 July 2023
Ryan Marcus Manuel
On 14 June, in one of the worst strategies involving South Asian migrants, a fishing boat smuggling more than 700 migrants sank in the Ionian Sea, Greece. The boat departed from Tobruk, Libya and was set to dock on the Italian coast. It is estimated that more than 300 migrants belonged to Pakistan.
The survivors stated that they were deprived of food and water and were forced below deck. PM Shehbaz Sharif announced 19 June as a day of mourning and constituted a four-member committee to probe into the trafficking. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) estimated that more than 40,000 illegal trips were attempted annually by Pakistani nationals most of them through Italian coast entry points.
Mapping of Migrants within Pakistan, and their routes
The migrants involved in the boat tragedy largely belonged to Gujranwala, Gujarat, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahauddin, and Sialkot.
The FIA stated that most of the migrants also belonged to the Kashmir region currently under Pakistan’s occupation. The PoK administration confirmed that 27 victims belong to Kotlu district and ten belong to Sarai Alamgi.
Most migrants take the Mediterranean route to reach the EU, to reach the Italian coastline. The Mediterranean route is operated by smugglers in Tunisia and Libya. The objective is to reach the southernmost part of Europe, such as the islands of Lampedusa, Italy or Calabria. Other migrants try to reach the Greek Islands from the Turkish Aegean coast. The Calabrian route is gaining preference from smuggles to move migrants from Libya. Victims claim that hundreds of migrants were packed in boats with limited food supply.
A brief note on Smugglers, Cost and Modalities
Following the tragedy, the FIA arrested 41 smugglers and registered 149 cases against them. Additionally, they established teams to remain in contact with the family members of the smugglers and blocked identity cards and bank accounts of immediate agents.
The FIA investigation further revealed that the smugglers charged more than USD 10,000 per adult and USD 4,500 per child. The FIA remarked that Muhammad Saleem Sanyara was the main suspect. The FIA stated that it is currently pursuing Asif Sanyari, who has safe houses in Libya. During interrogation, the suspects revealed the details of the traffickers and their operations. The investigation revealed that the victims were flown to UAE, Egypt and Libya to use the illegal migrant routes. Additionally, the suspects stated that more than seven Pakistani citizens were detained in Libyan jail while attempting to reach Europe.
The illegal migrants cited factors such as economic crisis, food insecurity, violence and job scarcity which prompted them to approach agents. The FIA stated that the majority of the illegal migrants were young Pakistanis, looking for greener pastures, better opportunities and in pursuit of better living conditions. The agents used social media to promote their services and assured satisfaction to their clients.
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