ISLAMABAD:
At least 335 Pakistanis have lost their lives trying to reach Europe via illegal migration routes since June 2023, with seven deadly disasters involving migrant boats costing hundreds of lives.
According to documents obtained by The Express PK Press Club from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), 467 Pakistanis were on board the seven boats involved in the reported disasters. Of them, 335 died, while 131 survived.
Records show that routes to Greece and Libya accounted for most of the casualties, with boats from Libya alone claiming the lives of 71 Pakistanis.
According to the documents, the deadliest tragedy occurred in June 2023, when a boat carrying migrants to Greece capsized. A total of 226 Pakistanis were on board, of whom 207 died, while only 19 survived.
Another boat carrying migrants to Greece met with disaster in December 2024, with 69 Pakistanis on board. The incident claimed the lives of 25 Pakistanis, while 44 were rescued.
In January 2025, a boat carrying 70 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco. Documents indicate that 32 passengers died, while 38 survived.
FIA records show that most recent tragedies have occurred off the coast of Libya. Since February 2025, four major boat disasters have been reported near Libya, resulting in the deaths of 71 Pakistanis.
In one such incident in February 2025, authorities identified 40 Pakistani victims. According to the documents, 23 Pakistanis died, while 13 survived.
The documents further state that the maritime disasters that occurred in February, April and October 2025, as well as April 2026, affected 102 Pakistanis. During these Libya-related incidents, 71 Pakistanis lost their lives, while 30 survived.
The latest tragedy occurred in April 2026, when another migrant boat capsized off the coast of Libya. The accident claimed the lives of 45 Pakistanis, while 12 others survived.
