Tragedy at sea

In another tragic incident of a boat sinking off near the coast of Libya, at least 16 Pakistani citizens have lost their lives while trying to illegally reach Europe by sea. Ten Pakistanis are reported to be missing in this horrific incident.

In the past few years, there have been various news reports about the sinking of several vessels carrying illegal migrants departing from the North African country of Libya emerged in the international media. Dozens of passengers, including Pakistani nationals, have been reported dead, whereas many unfortunate passengers are still missing after drowning in the deep sea.

A statement attributed to former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, which he made during the last days of his rule, is also under discussion in the international media. Gaddafi had warned Western powers that Libya, under his government, was a strong wall to stop illegal migrants trying to enter Europe from the African route. However, he was killed by rebels during the Arab Spring in 2011, and Libya, which had been stable under Gaddafi, fell into the worst kind of instability and chaos since then.

Last month, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in a travel advisory, listed Libya among the 15 transit countries most used for human trafficking. The FIA also mentioned several countries including Saudi Arabia, and Egypt as well as Iran and Turkiye in the list and issued instructions to strictly check the travel documents of passengers flying to the said countries.

The international community is indicating a travel ban on Pakistan due to reports of a large number of Pakistani nationals dying in various tragic accidents. Internationally, Pakistan’s reputation has been damaged to such an extent that it is considered the second-largest country in the world that is unable to stop its citizens from migrating illegally. The negative role of a few Pakistanis involved in the global human trafficking network is being borne by the entire Pakistani community and travellers abroad, who are being viewed with suspicion despite adopting legitimate methods.

Due to the malafide activities of human traffickers, there is tension between overseas Pakistanis and local communities in some countries. At the diplomatic level, the Pakistani government is repeatedly being demanded to control human trafficking and abide by international laws, and as a result, bilateral relations are becoming tense.

The recent boat sinking accident in Libya also reminded me of my column published in The News five years ago on July 24, 2020, when I wrote about in the context of the news of the sinking of a boat carrying illegal immigrants in Lake Van in the eastern region of Turkiye. I had emphasised that this is not the first tragic incident, as a large number of unfortunate travelers from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and other countries have lost their precious lives while dreaming of entering Europe illegally.

The FIA, no doubt, is making various efforts to break the human trafficking network. However, in today’s digital age, the network is so organised and complicated that the FIA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Cell appears helpless due to lack of necessary resources, professional manpower and modern technology.

In my view, we must give confidence to our new generation that there are numerous decent employment opportunities available in our country and if anyone wants to go abroad in search of better opportunities, they should adopt legal ways. The government must take tough decisions to punish all the elements involved in human trafficking without discrimination.

There is also a dire need to broadcast special programmes on the media to raise public awareness so that people can learn from the tragic fate of immigrants and safeguard their loved ones. Similarly, strict action should be taken against those glorifying illegal immigration on social media. Otherwise, the time is not far when the lawful doors of travel for Pakistani citizens will also be closed forever and Pakistanis living abroad for a long time will have to face severe consequences.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council. He tweets/posts @RVankwani