Islamabad, Jan 17: A devastating tragedy has struck the Atlantic waters, as up to 50 migrants attempting to reach Spain from West Africa are feared drowned, according to the rights organization Walking Borders. The ill-fated vessel, which had departed from Mauritania on January 2, was carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis. On Wednesday, Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors from the boat.
Walking Borders revealed that they had alerted the authorities six days prior to the discovery of the missing vessel, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Similarly, Alarm Phone, an NGO providing emergency support to migrants lost at sea, reported notifying Spain’s maritime rescue service on January 12. However, the service claimed to have no prior information about the boat.
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The tragedy has drawn widespread grief and renewed calls for action. Fernando Clavijo, the regional leader of Spain’s Canary Islands, expressed sorrow for the lives lost. “The Atlantic cannot continue to serve as Africa’s graveyard,” he wrote on social media, urging Spain and Europe to intensify efforts to prevent further humanitarian disasters.
Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, revealed that 44 of those presumed drowned were Pakistani nationals who endured 13 agonizing days at sea without rescue efforts. The perilous Atlantic migration route, connecting West African countries like Mauritania and Senegal to Spain’s Canary Islands, remains one of the deadliest migration paths. In 2024 alone, Walking Borders reported 10,457 migrant deaths on this route—an average of 30 lives lost daily.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) confirmed the incident, reporting that the boat carrying 80 passengers capsized near Morocco.
The authorities fear that over 40 Pakistani nationals are among the deceased. The FO confirmed that several survivors, including Pakistanis, are staying at a camp near Dakhla.
Pakistani embassy officials in Rabat are working closely with local authorities to provide support to survivors and their families.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed profound grief over the incident and directed immediate action against human traffickers. “We will not tolerate negligence. Strong measures are being implemented to curb human trafficking,” he stated. Former President Asif Ali Zardari echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the urgent need to dismantle trafficking networks to prevent further loss of life.
The tragedy underscores the urgent need for collaborative international efforts to address unsafe migration and the humanitarian crises fueling these perilous journeys.
