PM Shehbaz Sharif mourns deaths of Pakistani migrants in Libya boat sinking

Pakistan's prime minister has expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of an unspecified number of his countrymen over the weekend when a boat carrying Europe-bound migrants sank near the Libyan coast.

In a statement on Tuesday, Shehbaz Sharif ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete the process of identifying the victims as soon as possible and to provide all possible assistance to the affected people.

He also ordered action against those "involved in heinous acts like human trafficking,” according to a statement.

The boat capsized on Saturday in the Marsa Dela port in the western city of Zawiya, leaving dozens of Europe-bound migrants dead or missing, according to local authorities in Libya.

The Libyan Red Crescent said its teams recovered 10 bodies and the coast guard was searching for others. Pakistan says an estimated 65 people were on the boat, and efforts were underway to ascertain information about affected Pakistanis.

Dangerous land

The latest incident came less than a month after authorities said dozens of Pakistanis died when a boat capsized off West Africa. However, some of the survivors upon their return home insisted that their boat had not capsized and in fact, smugglers killed 43 migrants in a dispute over payment.

Hundreds of Pakistanis die every year while trying to reach Europe by land and sea with the help of human smugglers. They also use dangerous land and sea routes to reach Europe in an effort to find good jobs.

According to the International Organization for Migration's missing migrants project, at least 674 migrants were reported dead and more than 1,000 missing off Libya in 2024.

More than 21,700 migrants were intercepted and returned to the chaos-stricken country. In 2023, the IOM reported 962 migrants dead and 1,563 missing off Libya.

Around 17,200 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya in 2023, it said.