44 Pakistani migrants among dozens die in Spain boat accident
Pakistan
The boat carried 86 migrants, of whom 36 were rescued.
MADRID (Web Desk) – As many as 50 migrants, including 44 Pakistanis, are feared drowned in the latest deadly wreck involving people trying to make the crossing from West Africa to Spain's Canary Islands, migrant rights group Walking Borders said on Thursday.
Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people on Wednesday from a boat that had left Mauritania on Jan 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, on board, the group said.
Forty-four of those presumed to have drowned were from Pakistan, Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno said on X.
"They spent 13 days of anguish on the crossing without anyone coming to rescue them," she said.
The boat capsized off the coast of the disputed region of Western Sahara and several of the survivors, which included some Pakistanis, were taken to a camp near the port of Dakhla, Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a post on X.
Pakistan said the boat was carrying 80 passengers. Among the deceased, 12 were young residents of Gujrat.
Asked about what warnings it had received from NGOs regarding a missing boat, Spain's maritime rescue service said it had learned on Jan 10 about a vessel that had left Nouakchott in Mauritania and was experiencing problems but it could not confirm if it was the same boat.
The service said it had carried out air searches without success and had warned nearby ships.
Walking Borders said it had alerted authorities from all countries involved six days ago about the missing boat.
Alarm Phone, an NGO that provides an emergency phone line for migrants lost at sea, also said it had alerted Spain's maritime rescue service on Jan. 12 about a boat in distress.
A record 10,457 migrants, or 30 people a day, died trying to reach Spain in 2024, most while attempting to cross the Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary islands, according to Walking Borders.
Citing the Walking Borders' post on X, the Canary Islands' regional leader Fernando Clavijo expressed his sorrow for the victims of the latest wreck and urged Spain and Europe to act to prevent further tragedies.
"The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa," Clavijo said on X. "They cannot continue to turn their backs on this humanitarian drama."
FO sets up crisis response center
The Pakistan Embassy in Rabat is in touch with local authorities. Additionally, a team from the Embassy has been dispatched to Dakhla to facilitate the Pakistani nationals and provide necessary assistance.
Besides, the Crisis Management Unit in the Foreign Ministry has been activated and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has instructed the relevant government agencies to extend all possible facilitation to the affected Pakistanis.
The contact details of Ministry’s Crisis Management Unit and focal persons in Rabat are as follows:
Telephone: 051-9207887
E-mail: cmu1@mofa.gov.pk
PM seeks report
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences over the tragic death of Pakistanis in a migrant boat accident in Spain and has sought a report from the relevant authorities.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and regret over the boat accident involving migrants traveling from West Africa to Spain.
The prime minister prayed for the elevation of the deceased's souls and extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
The statement further mentioned that the prime minister sought a report from the relevant authorities and emphasized that strict action would be taken against those involved in the heinous crime of human trafficking.
Greece boat accident
Last month, the embassy of Pakistan in Greece confirmed the death of six people in the boat tragedy off the Greek coast.
The dead had been identified as Ahmed, Abid, Rehman, Sufyan and Abdullah, the embassy said in a statement.
Amir Aftab Qureshi, Pakistani ambassador to Greece, while talking to the media other day, said 84 Pakistanis were on board the ill-fated boat.
