Over 40 Pakistanis Feared Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off African Coast

Over 40 Pakistani nationals are feared to have drowned after a boat capsized off the Atlantic coastline of West Africa, a significant departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe, as reported by PTI. The tragedy occurred just a day after a similar incident near Morocco, which claimed the lives of at least 50 people, including several Pakistanis.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the ill-fated boat, carrying around 80 passengers from various nationalities, capsized on January 2 near Morocco’s disputed Western Sahara region.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his sorrow over the deaths and called for stricter measures to combat human trafficking in a statement released late Thursday, following reports from the migrant rights group Walking Borders, which confirmed that 44 people had died in the Morocco incident.

The Pakistan Foreign Office issued a statement regarding the tragedy, noting that the Pakistani embassy in Morocco is in constant contact with local authorities to support rescue operations. Most of the Pakistanis on the boat were from cities in the eastern Punjab province. Relatives have gathered at the homes of the victims, with some survivors now in touch with their families, according to officials.

Human trafficking

Millions of people migrate to Europe every year, with the vast majority using legal and regular means. According to the European Union’s border agency Frontex, fewer than 240,000 people crossed into the continent without papers last year.

As authorities have worked to curb migration and smuggling from Mediterranean countries, more dangerous routes have become increasingly used. Frontex reported that over 50,000 migrants made the perilous journey from northwest Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands in 2024, including 178 Pakistanis.

In a report released last week, Walking Borders stated that 9,757 people had died or gone missing while attempting to cross to the islands, describing the route as “the deadliest in the world.”