“The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa.”
A tragic boat disaster has possibly left up to 50 people dead, including 44 Pakistani migrants attempting to reach Spain from West Africa.
The boat, which departed from Mauritania on January 2, 2025, carried 86 passengers, predominantly Pakistanis.
However, the vessel capsized near Morocco.
Moroccan authorities managed to rescue 36 survivors on January 15 but the fate of the remaining passengers remains grim.
Walking Borders, a migrant rights group, revealed that the passengers endured a harrowing 13-day journey before the tragedy unfolded.
According to the group, authorities in multiple countries were alerted to the missing boat six days earlier but failed to respond in time.
Alarm Phone, another NGO assisting migrants at sea, also contacted Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service on January 12 but was met with similar inaction.
Reports indicate that the passengers were left stranded after human traffickers anchored the boat at sea, demanding more money.
The lack of timely intervention has drawn sharp criticism, with many questioning the systemic failures in protecting vulnerable migrants.
Helena Maleno, CEO of Walking Borders, called the ordeal “a journey of anguish and suffering with no rescue assistance”.
The dangerous Atlantic migration route is often labelled one of the deadliest in the world.
In 2024 alone, over 10,000 migrants died attempting to cross this perilous path, according to Walking Borders.
The Canary Islands have become a key destination for migrants fleeing poverty, violence, and political instability in West Africa.
Fernando Clavijo Batlle, the incumbent president of the Canary Islands, expressed deep sorrow over the potential deaths.
He urged Spain and Europe to take urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis, saying:
“The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa.”
The incident has also brought attention to human trafficking networks exploiting desperate migrants.
Pakistan’s government has vowed to crack down on these networks, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif previously ordering investigations into trafficking cases.
PM Sharif said: “Strict legal action should be taken against all human trafficking groups operating in the country so they become a warning for others.”
The tragedy follows similar disasters in recent months.
In December 2024, a boat capsised off Morocco, resulting in the deaths of 69 migrants, including 25 Malians.
The same month, a boat near Greece also sank, leaving dozens of Pakistani nationals dead.
This highlights the increasing desperation driving migrants to take this route, fuelled by poverty, conflict, and political instability in their home countries.
As more details emerge, the recent boat disaster highlights the need for coordinated international efforts to prevent such devastating losses.