DM Monitoring
KARACHI: In the last two months, more than 50 Pakistanis lost their lives trying to migrate to Europe illegally. Knowing full well the risks and life-threatening danger, hundreds dream of taking this route. Despite such tragic incidents where boats full of migrants capsize and hardly anyone survives, the obsession with illegal migration is not going away. What is the reason so many Pakistanis are not learning the lesson?
With hundreds of young Pakistanis risking their lives to flee political unrest, unemployment, and economic woes, illegal migration from Pakistan to Europe and other nations has sharply increased in recent years. Human smuggling networks, sometimes known as “Dunki” (from the English word “donkey”), denote a difficult and unlawful backdoor ingress into foreign countries. “There is no one reason for this, and there can’t be one. There are multiple factors, and every aspect is as important as the other,” said freelance researcher on national, international, and human rights issues, Nadeem Akhtar.
The most famous destinations for illegal immigrants are Italy, Greece, Germany, or the United Kingdom. The dangerous journey to these countries frequently passes via Iran, Turkey, and Eastern Europe.
There are serious repercussions for migrants who choose this unlawful route, including exploitation, arrest, expulsion, and even death. The main reason behind this serious situation is mostly the involvement of human traffickers who exploit innocent and naïve citizens to make money out of their misery.
Numerous socioeconomic and political variables influence the decision to travel on the Dunki path. The economic situation in Pakistan is one of the main causes of illegal migration. Many young men believe they have no future in their native country due to skyrocketing inflation, unrealistic industrial growth, and a lack of employment possibilities.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reports that the country’s unemployment rate is approximately 6.5%, with youth unemployment being much higher. This economic desperation compels many to look for illicit ways to enter Europe in the hopes of finding better living conditions. Pakistan has seen ongoing political unrest, including numerous government transitions, corruption, and a precarious state of law and order.
All these factors make up the minds of youngsters to find one way or another to leave and earn better. But the grass is greener on the other side.
Nadeem Ali*, a 23-year-old eldest sibling of three sisters and two brothers, thinks that the only solution to his family’s problems is for him to find a way to go to Europe and send back money. “One of my cousins went to Greece 10 years ago and they are so settled now and have a better house. His sisters got married in good families and he can afford to get better medical treatments for his parents. Isn’t that what every son dreams of doing for the family,” he said while sharing why he is so motivated to try for legal or illegal means to move to Europe.
Ali lives in Gujranwala and has completed his Bachelor’s in commerce. He has been applying to several universities for a Master’s programme but hasn’t secured a scholarship yet.
“People like us don’t get the opportunities that easily, so we have to go a step forward and take such risks where that one leap can change the dimensions of the families,” the young man lamented. He shared that his cousin who went via illegal route, had some difficulties in the beginning but after a few months everything started to fall into place. As far as people who die on the journey are concerned, he leaves fate to god. “We need to have faith in our Maker that if he has destined us to die this way that no one can stop it,” he said.
