PAKISTAN and several African nations called for more protections for migrants at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday (26) following the shipwreck off the Greek coast.
At least 82 people died and hundreds more are feared dead in the June 12-13 shipwreck along the world's most deadly migration route from Libya to Italy.
Pakistan, which had 350 of its nationals aboard the ship that capsized and sank, said the incident was a "grim reminder of the protection gaps".
"The human cost of such a status quo is unacceptable," Pakistan's deputy permanent ambassador, Zaman Mehdi, told the 47-member council in unusually frank comments. "Gaps in responsibility sharing, arrangements for the safe and timely search and rescue, disembarkation of all people rescued at sea and accountability must be plugged in the spirit of solidarity."
The rusty trawler packed with travellers capsized in the Ionian Sea on June 14 after setting sail from Libya towards Europe on the world's deadliest migrant route.
Pakistan’s interior minister Rana Sanaullah told parliament that "so far 281 Pakistani families have contacted us and said that their children may be victims of this accident".
Twelve Pakistanis were among the survivors and Sanaullah estimated that "about 350 Pakistanis were on board".
"Perhaps there has never been such a large toll in any incident before, even in terrorist incidents," he said.
Shipwreck survivors await transfer to a refugee camp near Athens on June 16, 2023 in Kalamata, Greece. (Photo by Byron Smith/Getty Images)
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is collecting DNA samples from the families in a bid to link them to the remains recovered from the wreck, with 193 blood and hair samples taken so far.
But the number of missing far outweighs the number of bodies recovered, diminishing hope for grieving families who are overwhelmingly from Pakistan-administered Kashmir and eastern Punjab province.
"We should at least get the dead bodies so that the parents and relatives can get peace of mind," said Zafar Iqbal, 55, who reported losing two nephews in the incident.
"The government should at least complete the investigation as soon as possible," he said, from Bandli village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir host a thriving black market of what locals call "agents" - human smugglers who arrange illegal migration to Europe for a large fee.
An FIA official in Islamabad said last Friday (23) that "so far 25 agents have been arrested".
"Raids are being conducted against the human traffickers and the investigation is ongoing," the official said.
Pakistan is in the grip of a staggering economic downturn that saps families' purses and spurs illegal migration, mostly by young men who hope to get a financial foothold in Europe and send cash home.
The routes they take vary greatly. Some pay for legal transport to North Africa and take their chances from there, voyaging onwards by sea. Others attempt to go overland through Iran and Turkey.
Dodging border guards and police and moving through different jurisdictions with limited funds means that communication with families is often patchy, making it difficult to determine their exact movements.
On Monday, the envoy for Gambia, a country from which many migrants depart on perilous journeys towards Europe, said the issue required "urgent attention".
Felipe Gonzalez Morales, UN Special Rapporteur on Migration, called on states to end the criminalisation of irregular migrants and find regular pathways for them.
He also reiterated a call made by hundreds of NGOs for the rights body to create a new international investigative body looking at human rights abuses committed against migrants. The idea is being discussed as part of the ongoing council session in Geneva.
(Agencies)
Kulsuma Aktergetty images