In an overnight raid, security forces in eastern Libya rescued at least 385 Pakistani migrants who were held in trafficking warehouses. There were children among the recovered Pakistanis as well. The rescue came after a tragic incident on June 18 when a boat carrying approximately 700 migrants, including about 350 Pakistanis, sank off the Greek coast. Only 104 people, including 12 Pakistanis, were rescued, making it one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks in recent years.
The migrants in the recent raid were released from warehouses in the al-Khueir area, near Tobruk. They were later transferred to a nearby police headquarters. Esreiwa Salah, an activist with the migrant rights group Al-Abreen, revealed that these Pakistani migrants had arrived in Libya with the intention of traveling to Europe. However, they were detained by smugglers who demanded a ransom for their release.
Libya serves as a major transit point for migrants from Africa and the Middle East attempting to reach Europe. The country has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled long-time autocrat Muammar Gaddafi. It led to rival governments in eastern and western Libya, each backed by various militias and foreign governments.
The instability in Libya has allowed human traffickers to exploit the situation. They smuggle migrants across borders from countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan. These migrants, desperate for a better life in Europe, are often packed into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels for perilous voyages across the Central Mediterranean Sea route.
Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, which has driven thousands of young men to seek work abroad. Many choose to travel to Libya with the hope of eventually reaching European shores.
