Greece boat Tragedy: Key Takeaways and Lessons to be learned
Shahzad Masood Rumi
On 14 June 2023, a fishing boat smuggling migrants sank in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Pylos, Messenia, Greece. At least 78 deaths have been confirmed so far while more than 100 people are missing. Rescue efforts continued for days. Most of those who lost their lives were Pakistanis who were trying to reach Europe via Libya. The ill-fated boat carrying more than 700 illegal migrants had left the port of Tubrok earlier. According to media reports, only 12 out of approximately 400 Pakistanis survived the accident.
The incident sparked outrage and grief in Pakistan, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a national day of mourning and ordered a high-level inquiry into the role of smugglers and officials involved in the illegal migration racket.
This tragic episode has left behind many questions which must be answered honestly in order to prevent such tragedies in future. Why so many young people had to perish in sea along with their dreams of a brighter future? Why so many mothers and elderly parents have lost their only support? What propelled these people to Europe so much that they chose to risk their lives to reach their illegally and that too after spending more than 2 million approximately? Why illegal travelling through finishing boat continued despite so many devastating accidents in the past? Why state of Pakistan has failed to provide opportunities to youth within the country to invest and grow their businesses?
The answers of all above questions presents a complex, deformed and fractured socioeconomic and dysfunctional political realities many lower middle and middle class Pakistanis have been facing since long.
The answer of first three questions lies in socioeconomic pressures of society and resultant quest of these unfortunate young men for a better future. Pakistani society has deformed over the decades under the negative influences of getting well-off to compete with neighbors, relatives and people who are not even known. Show-off culture has entrenched in society deep now and media had played a significant role in this regard. There are certainly some exceptions to this but usually people think of getting out of Pakistan and settle abroad so that they can send money back home and their family can raise social status.
It has been observed people who choose to leave Pakistan illegally are usually belong to this faction of society that want to climb on social status in shortest period so instead of doing proper research and knowing the legal ways to get settled abroad, they adopt this illegal approach without knowing the risks involved during and after their journey. Many of those who survived such illegal migrations previously were deported back to Pakistan the next day they reached Europe. Lack of education, proper planning and guidance about migrating abroad legally make the task of human smugglers easier.
The prevalence of nepotism and corruption within the country further diminishes the prospects for the youth. Frustration and disillusionment drive them towards desperate measures, including illegal migration. This is where state failure is so obvious.
Pakistan is yet to introduced a long term youth investment program where small investments in form of group of individuals can be attracted to start small businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, recording studios, cattle farm etc. People have no know how about investment and business management. Financial and tax laws complexities also discourage people from investing in Pakistan. First key takeaway for the state is to provide even and just grounds for youth to invest in their own country. State can form special zones, banks and laws for young investors to ensure that their investment will not waste. No foreign investor will look towards Pakistan unless and until local investors take initiative.
Secondly, state must provide formal and informal education through media about migration and legal ways. People fell into traps of disillusionment set by human smugglers who earn billions every year through this illicit human trade. This not only put their lives in danger but also bring bad name to Pakistan.
Thirdly, state must deal with human smugglers with iron hand. No political interference must be allowed in the investigation of this and previous incidents where innocent Pakistanis lost their lives in search of better future abroad. Perpetrators must be brought in court of law.
Last but not the least, Pakistan must activate its foreign missions for safe migrant diplomacy with an emphasis on collective responsibilities in preventing this menace of human smuggling and illegal migration through sea routes.
