Tragic Journeys: Families Mourn Migrant Shipwreck Victims
Grief and regret weigh heavily on families in Pakistan after
a series of migrant shipwrecks off the coast of Greece claimed the lives of
dozens, including young boys from Punjab’s villages. Among them is Javed Iqbal,
a carpenter working in Saudi Arabia, who mourns the loss of his 13-year-old
son, Mohammad Abid.
Desperate to fulfill his son’s dreams of reaching Europe,
Javed sold farmland and his wife’s jewelry, paying an agent over 2.5 million
Pakistani rupees. Abid’s journey, like many others, ended in tragedy when the
overcrowded boats capsized. "We didn’t know his destination was not Europe
but death," Javed said.
Pakistani authorities have confirmed five national
fatalities in the disaster, while 35 remain missing. This comes amidst repeated
warnings to families against illegal migration, which continues to lure young
individuals with promises of a better future abroad.
Abid, the third of Javed’s four children, had stopped
attending school, mesmerized by social media posts from other boys in his
village who successfully reached Greece. Despite his father’s reassurances and
offers to bring him to Saudi Arabia instead, Abid was resolute. After arriving
in Libya via Egypt, he spent two months waiting for the perilous boat trip that
would claim his life.
In another Punjab village, Ucha Jajja, Irfan Arshad laments
the death of his 19-year-old son, Muhammad Sufyan. Irfan sold land and paid
three million rupees to an agent who promised safe passage to Greece. However,
Sufyan endured months in a Libyan safe house, weakened by poor food and
illness, before his ill-fated voyage.
This tragic trend has persisted despite a 2023 shipwreck in
the same area that killed 262 Pakistanis. Authorities have vowed crackdowns on
human traffickers, but success remains elusive. Out of 174 cases filed by the
Federal Investigation Agency, only four convictions have been secured.
“These agents exploit desperate families,” said Abdul Qadir
Qamar, FIA’s regional director. However, many families hesitate to take legal
action against traffickers, fearing repercussions.
For grieving parents like Irfan, the wait for their sons’
bodies is agonizing. "We are dying moment by moment," he said.
"How can those whose sons die ever have peace?"
This heartbreaking cycle underscores the urgent need for
awareness, stricter enforcement, and safe opportunities to stem the tide of
dangerous migration.
