The country is still reeling from the effects of the Messenia boat tragedy, in which some hundred Pakistanis, the number of which remains unknown, were drowned while attempting to cross illegally from Libya to Italy. The government seems to have taken the matter seriously, not only observing a day of mourning, but making arrests almost daily. However, so far, the arrests have only been of those directly responsible for running the human trafficking at the root of the tragedy. However, those providing support to this nefarious business are not being arrested. It is not believable that the whole affair could take place without some bureaucrats turning a blind eye. And could they have turned a blind eye, without political backing? It should not be ignored that this was not a one-off. Illegal migrants have made the journey before, and those arranging this visit have got more people in the pipeline.
In an ideal world, the government would clean up its act and provide at home the kind of opportunities that the tragedy victims were trying to seek illegally. However, even if that happens, it will take time. Until that day in the future, illegal immigrants will go on trying their luck, a new generation of agents will emerge, and seek protection from the same big fish who are apparently escaping punishment today. There will be in time another tragedy, and after the same hand-wringing and breast-beating as we are seeing today, life will go on.
The Pakistani government, immigration agents, their backers and intending immigrants are the stakeholders everyone has been focused on, but there are others. What about those providing passage, possibly illegal, no doubt dubious, to Libya, and then those providing shipping to Italy? And was Italy the terminus, or just a stop on the way to somewhere else? Libya is facing troubles of its own, and its government is weak, but the authorities there should realize that this is precisely the sort of situation which makes more powerful states intervene. That intervention may end badly, but while it lasts, it is agonizing. Pakistan’s government must not only show that it is concerned about its citizens, but is also a responsible member of the international community. At the same time, it must work to be part of the solution, which is to provide people the sort of opportunities at home that they were seeking abroad illegally, rather than be part of the problem, which it is at present.
