Why Pakistanis are taking the dangerous Libya route to Europe

Thousands of Pakistanis are taking the Libya way to question enactment successful Europe. It involves a vessel journey, the perils of which were highlighted erstwhile an overcrowded vas sank disconnected Greece successful June with immense nonaccomplishment of life. Of astir 13,000 Pakistanis who headed for Libya and Egypt this year, astir haven't returned - including 2 teenagers whose past words to their parent were not to worry.

At the constabulary presumption successful Punjab state it is 35C (95F), humid and still. Sweat runs down our backs; the officer's temple shines with it.

Down a abbreviated unfastened corridor, past rooms filled with precariously balanced papers, we are shown a tiny cell. Sixteen men beryllium broadside by broadside connected the cement floor, damp is seeping done the walls, a azygous instrumentality whirs down the compartment bars, and determination is 1 toilet down a debased wall.

All these men are alleged to person been progressive successful quality smuggling, the bulk straight successful transportation with the migrant vessel that near Libya and sank disconnected Greece connected 14 June. Nearly 300 Pakistanis thought to person been connected committee are missing, feared dead.

We inquire if anyone wants to speak. Most avert their eyes, but 1 man, Husnain Shah, jumps up. This is his 3rd arrest; helium has been a smuggler for much than a decade, helium says, though helium denies helium played a ample relation successful the shipwreck disconnected the seashore of Greece.

"There is truthful overmuch unemployment present radical amusement up to our houses and inquire america to enactment them successful interaction with idiosyncratic who tin instrumentality their brothers and sons abroad," helium says. He believes helium has taken thousands of radical successful his years operating.

"I started this due to the fact that determination was nary different business. I don't person a main role, it's the radical who are sitting successful Libya who are precise large and rich; we don't adjacent get the main share, not adjacent a tenth of the amount."

When I inquire if helium feels a consciousness of guilt astatine what has happened to those who person died taking these routes, his code changes.

"I felt precise sorry, we are truly ashamed implicit this. But what tin we do? If I don't bash this, idiosyncratic other volition bash it."

With the system teetering connected the edge, ostentation reaching astir 40% and the Pakistani rupee dropping successful value, galore present are looking to spell abroad, wherever adjacent a debased wage volition apt transcend thing they tin gain if they stay.

A survey astatine the extremity of past year recovered that 62% of boys and young men aged 15-24 wanted to leave. While immoderate volition effort to spell legally, others volition find alternate routes.

By its nature, amerciable migration is hard to quantify, but the Pakistani authorities told america that the caller Greek shipwreck did item a recently fashionable way for Pakistanis; flying via Dubai to Egypt oregon Libya, past taking a ample vessel from eastbound Libya crossed to Europe.

Pakistan present has less deportees from different routes, specified arsenic crossed Iran, arsenic less radical are taking the journeys aft countries similar Turkey cracked down connected amerciable arrivals, says Mohammed Alam Shinwari, who is successful complaint of Pakistan's probe into what happened with the Greek shipwreck.

He told the BBC astir 13,000 radical near Pakistan to spell to Libya oregon Egypt successful the archetypal six months of 2023, compared with astir 7,000 successful the full of 2022. Of those 13,000, 10,000 person not returned.

"We don't cognize whether they are inactive successful Libya oregon if they person gone to immoderate of the European countries."

It seems astonishing it has taken the constabulary until the shipwreck to realise however galore Pakistanis were taking this route. In February, Pakistanis were connected committee a vessel which sank disconnected the seashore of Italy having travelled from Turkey via Libya.

But Mr Shinwari argues that investigating these routes is analyzable erstwhile families bash not travel to the constabulary astir what has happened.

"People don't travel guardant to complain, alternatively they volition spell to retired of tribunal settlements," helium says. "It becomes precise hard for america to prosecute those cases and stitchery accusation due to the fact that that has to travel from the families and successful astir cases they won't archer us."

There are added complications too; galore of these travellers helium says flew connected valid documents with valid visas for Dubai oregon Egypt, making it hard to halt them. This besides means that the travel is much costly than erstwhile routes - betwixt 2.5-3m rupees (£6,780-8,140; $8,725-10,470) showing the amounts galore are consenting to wage to get out.

Pakistan does enactment to halt amerciable migration; Mr Shinwari tells maine that they stopped 19,000 radical from going overseas past twelvemonth arsenic they feared they could beryllium victims of radical smuggling, and they had 20,000 Pakistanis deported back.

"As to however galore radical are going," helium says. "We don't person immoderate idea."

Some of those who person made this travel are present stranded successful Libya. In 1 colony successful Punjab, we halt to talk to 1 family, but are rapidly joined by men from crossed the area.

Several of their young men travelled retired to Libya weeks earlier and are inactive there. They nonstop their relatives and friends dependable notes and videos, begging for much money.

One begetter shows america a video of much than 100 men successful a windowless country with achromatic walls and achromatic floors. Most of the men are stripped down to their underwear to withstand the heat, respective are pleading to the camera to get them out.

The concern is truthful confused, their families don't cognize if they are being inactive held by smugglers, by Libyan authorities oregon by idiosyncratic else. They asked america not to uncover their identities successful lawsuit determination is retaliation against the men inactive held.

"They lone springiness them nutrient erstwhile each 2 to 3 days," 1 begetter tells me. "My lad cries a lot, helium is lone 18 years old. He says what benignant of occupation person we landed into, we gave the wealth and we are dying here."

Even fixed these conditions, the families aren't accordant astir what they privation to hap next. Initially erstwhile asked, they said they wanted a harmless mode for the young men to proceed to Europe, but past aboriginal said they wanted them to instrumentality home.

Pakistan's overseas affairs ministry is alert and is moving connected this, constabulary say.

Despite the risks and the constabulary crackdown, we spoke to galore radical crossed Pakistan who said they were actively inactive looking to question illegally.

One smuggler, based successful Europe, said routes were inactive operating retired of Pakistan. Even the constabulary authorities acknowledged that they cognize radical are inactive leaving the state illegally.

Of the galore radical we spoke to who either wanted to spell oregon had willingly sent their sons, each spoke of anticipation for a amended life.

Some talked astir societal pressure; 1 antheral said astir of his cousins and brothers had already made the crossing, and that present astatine societal occasions helium was pushed to explicate wherefore helium hadn't gone.

Others talked astir seeing the homes built with wealth earned abroad, of unit enactment connected them by the smugglers who lived adjacent them to bash what would beryllium champion for their children's future.

Some adjacent had idiosyncratic acquisition of making the travel themselves.

Fareed Hussain went to Germany illegally 8 years ago, travelling done Turkey via Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. After 4 years helium returned erstwhile his begetter became sick and helium needed to instrumentality attraction of the family. Then helium was persuaded by the aforesaid smuggler to nonstop his teenage sons.

"He utilized to marque america judge that Europe was conscionable successful beforehand of us," Fareed says. "That the kids are going to spell and marque a beingness for themselves and past you tin bargain immoderate you want.

"I thought we are mediocre people, adjacent if they get educated present they won't find a occupation and we don't person overmuch land. I thought they volition go, get educated and work."

Fareed sold his household crippled and past his 2 boys, Farhad and Touheed, travelled to Libya via Egypt and Dubai. Their parents person videos of them excitedly boarding the plane; of the harmless location successful Libya, sleeping connected the level with dozens of different boys and young men; and a dependable enactment sent astatine 04:00 connected the greeting they left, telling their parent not to worry.

A fewer days later, the smugglers contacted the household telling them to administer sweets, that their children had made it. They began celebrating.

The pursuing day, their cousins called. They had work an planetary quality nonfiction astir a migrant vessel sinking. By past the smugglers had left.

The household ne'er heard from the boys again. Both are believed to person drowned successful Greece's waters connected 14 June. They were 18 and 15 years old. Their parents whitethorn ne'er person their bodies to bury.

Now their parent says she listens to their dependable messages and cries for hours.

"Even if determination is poorness present and they dice from hunger, you shouldn't go," says Fareed. " It doesn't substance however overmuch anyone convinces you."