ISLAMABAD: A migrant boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Morocco, with over 40 Pakistanis reportedly among those presumed dead, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Thursday.
According to the migrant rights group Walking Borders, the tragedy unfolded after the boat, which had departed Mauritania on January 2, spent 13 days at sea without rescue. Moroccan authorities managed to save 36 passengers a day earlier, while 44 others, including 40 Pakistanis, are feared drowned.
The group’s CEO, Helena Maleno, stated that the vessel had been attempting the perilous journey to Spain’s Canary Islands. “They spent 13 days of anguish on the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them,” she said.
The FO’s press release indicated that the Pakistani embassy in Rabat is actively coordinating with local authorities to provide assistance to survivors, including several Pakistanis now housed in a camp near Dakhla. A team from the embassy has been dispatched to facilitate support for the affected nationals.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a detailed report on the incident and emphasized stringent measures against human trafficking. “Strict action will be taken against those responsible for this heinous crime. No negligence will be tolerated,” he said.
The tragedy has prompted widespread calls for greater action to prevent such incidents. Former president Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and stressed the importance of comprehensive efforts to combat human trafficking networks.
Meanwhile, Spain’s maritime rescue service said it had been alerted to a missing boat on January 10 but could not confirm if it was the same vessel. NGOs, including Walking Borders and Alarm Phone, had previously warned authorities about a boat in distress six days before the wreck.
In 2024 alone, a record 10,457 migrants died attempting to reach Spain, with the majority perishing along the dangerous Atlantic route from West Africa to the Canary Islands, according to Walking Borders.
Fernando Clavijo, the Canary Islands’ regional leader, called for urgent action to address the crisis. “The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa,” he said. “Spain and Europe must not turn their backs on this humanitarian drama.”
This is a developing story.
