As many as 50 migrants attempting to reach Spain by boat from West Africa are feared to have drowned, according to the migrant rights group Walking Borders on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people from a boat that had departed Mauritania on January 2. The boat reportedly carried 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, the Madrid- and Navarra-based group said.
Walking Borders stated that it had alerted authorities from the relevant countries six days earlier about the missing boat. Similarly, Alarm Phone, an NGO offering an emergency hotline for migrants lost at sea, said it had notified Spain’s maritime rescue service on January 12, but the service reported having no information about the vessel.
Fernando Clavijo, the regional leader of Spain’s Canary Islands, expressed sorrow for the victims in a post on X (formerly Twitter), citing Walking Borders’ report. He called on Spain and Europe to take action to prevent such tragedies. “The Atlantic cannot continue to be the graveyard of Africa,” Clavijo wrote. “They cannot continue to turn their backs on this humanitarian drama.”
Walking Borders CEO Helena Maleno revealed in a post on X that 44 of those who drowned were from Pakistan. “They endured 13 days of anguish at sea without any rescue efforts,” she said.
According to Walking Borders, 10,457 migrants—an average of 30 people per day—died in 2024 attempting to reach Spain, primarily via the Atlantic route from West African nations such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Thursday that a boat carrying 80 passengers had capsized near Morocco, with over 40 Pakistanis reportedly among the deceased.
In a press release, the FO stated that the Pakistani embassy in Rabat had informed them of the incident. “Several survivors, including Pakistanis, are being housed in a camp near Dakhla. Our embassy in Rabat is in contact with local authorities. A team has been dispatched to Dakhla to assist the Pakistani nationals and provide necessary support.”
The FO also activated its Crisis Management Unit (CMU) and shared emergency contact details for affected individuals and their families. Acting Ambassador Rabia Kasuri and Consular Assistant Noman Ali are available via phone and WhatsApp for further assistance.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the incident, demanding a report and vowing strict action against human traffickers. “No negligence will be tolerated. Strong measures are being implemented against human trafficking,” he stated.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief over the loss of lives and underscored the need for robust measures to combat human trafficking.