Grieving Families of Migrant Victims in Greece Call for Action against Human Traffickers

The tragic deaths of five Pakistani nationals, including two young boys, in a boat capsizing off the coast of Greece have shattered families and sparked a renewed outcry against human trafficking. Among the victims was 13-year-old Mohammad Abid, whose father, Javed Iqbal, a carpenter working in Saudi Arabia, deeply regrets sending his son on a perilous journey to Europe. Despite warnings and repeated refusals, Abid’s determination to leave home and join relatives already in Greece led to the family’s decision to pay a trafficker, resulting in his tragic death at sea.

Javed recalls how his son became obsessed with the idea of reaching Europe after watching videos shared by other young migrants from their village. Abid threatened to run away if not sent abroad, ultimately leading his parents to pay a trafficker over 2.5 million Pakistani rupees (£7,300) to facilitate the dangerous journey. From Libya, where he endured months of hardship, Abid kept in touch, reassuring his family that the difficulties were temporary. But their hope turned to horror when news of the boat tragedy reached them. Despite efforts to get information, it wasn’t until a friend in Greece located Abid’s body at a migrant hospital that the family learned of his death.

In another part of Punjab, Irfan Arshad mourns his son, 19-year-old Muhammad Sufyan, who also perished in the same disaster. Irfan had sold land to finance the journey, convinced by traffickers’ promises of safe passage to Greece. But Sufyan endured a harrowing ordeal in Libya, where he was kept in a “safe house,” malnourished and sick, before the tragic boat journey. Irfan now says, “I feel like I bought my son’s death with my own hands.”

The grief-stricken families are not alone in their pain, as many others are still searching for answers or waiting for the return of their loved ones’ bodies. Despite the tragedy, the issue of illegal migration remains rampant, with many youths still attempting similar perilous journeys. Pakistani authorities have taken action, urging families to stop sending children abroad and prosecuting human traffickers, but the problem persists, with the FBI investigating a trafficking ring in the affected region.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed concern over the repeated occurrence of such incidents and vowed to take strict action against those responsible. However, families like Irfan’s continue to suffer in silence, unable to find peace as they wait for the return of their children’s bodies. “Until we see our son’s body, we will be neither living nor dead,” Irfan laments, questioning how those who lose their children can ever find solace.