Migrant boat disaster

The Foreign Office has confirmed that several Pakistanis are among the survivors of the deadly migrant boat accident off the coast of Italy over the weekend. However, there are still disputes over the number of Pakistanis that were actually on the boat. Reports say over 200 people were onboard, and “many” of those were from Pakistan. However, the Foreign Office, quoting some of the 16 Pakistani survivors, claims only about 20 Pakistanis were on the ship, alongside Iraqis, Afghans, Somalis, Syrians, and Iranians. The death toll —63 so far — may cross 100, according to several news outlets.

While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto expressed their concern and sympathy, their calls for the FO to ascertain facts “as early as possible and take the nation into confidence” is a waste of time. Anyone and everyone aware of recent events in Pakistan can say with certainty that these people were economic migrants. They had determined that risking deaths for greener pastures in Europe was a better option than trusting Shehbaz, Bilawal or ex-PM Imran Khan to turn the country around. Like refugees fleeing war, every illegal economic migrant’s story is a tale of desperation. And for every such tale of desperation, the blame lies on the leaders that brought their countries to, or failed to lead them out of, an economic morass.

Many developing countries have low rates of illegal migration simply because they have good social safety nets, and their leaders, right or wrong, are able to inspire confidence among their people. While it is fair to blame the anti-migrant policies of some countries for making crossings riskier and the oppressive colonial pasts of several European countries for contributing to the despair in several poor countries, leaders in the migrants’ own countries do not deserve any free passes. If your citizens would risk death to flee your rule, you need to fix the problems instead of blaming others.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2023.

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