The latest tragedy to highlight the refugee problem facing the European Union (EU) resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Pakistani nationals after a crowded trawler capsized off the coast of Greece.
CNN reports that the chairman of the Pakistani Senate, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, revealed that the victims were among the tens of thousands who sought refuge from conflict, persecution, and poverty.
Greek officials have not yet confirmed the death toll in Pakistan, despite the fact that it is well known that Pakistan is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades.
A national day of mourning for those who lost their lives in the boat's sinking was declared on Monday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as a result of the rising number of Pakistanis taking dangerous ways to Europe in pursuit of a better future, according to CNN.
In a tweet, he ordered a “high-level inquiry” into the incident.
“I assure the nation that those found negligent towards their duty will be held to account. Responsibility will be fixed after the inquiry and heads will roll,” Sharif wrote.
According to the UN Migration Agency (IOM), there were over 750 men, women, and children on the boat when it collapsed last week, killing hundreds and making the disaster one of the deadliest in the Mediterranean Sea, according to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.
The tragedy has brought attention to the EU's refugee problem, in which tens of thousands of refugees attempt perilous journeys to Europe each year as they flee war, persecution, poverty, and climate change. Johansson denounced the function of the "smugglers" who loaded passengers onto the boats.
“They are not sending them to Europe, they are sending them to death. This is what they’re doing and it’s absolutely necessary to prevent it,” she said.
