GUJRAT: Many of the Pakistani nationals intending to enter Europe illegally via sea route have started returning home from Libya after fleeing the safe houses of human traffickers in the wake of the boat tragedy occurring off the Greece coast in June.

At least 40 to 50 such persons have returned from Libya to their homes only in Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin districts during more than last week, says a local senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Talking to Dawn, he says these potentially illegal immigrants had paid at least Rs2.5 million each to different human traffickers or their agents for reaching Italy through sea route and had been waiting in Libya for their turn to proceed further.

However, he says the deaths of hundreds of people, including Pakistani nationals, in the boat capsize incident last month frightened these would-be illegal immigrants, making them return home.

On reaching home, they have started lodging complaints against the human traffickers to reclaim the amounts they had paid to the human traffickers, he adds.

Earlier, on Friday, Usman Siddique, the last of the total 12 Pakistani nationals who survived the boat tragedy, returned to his home at Kaleki village near Gujrat.

Siddique, a constable of Gujrat police, claimed around 20,000 illegal immigrants are waiting for their turn to travel to Italy at the safe houses of human traffickers in Libya. Now he advises everyone, especially youths, against risking their lives for greener pastures.

Meanwhile, Irtaza Ansar Warraich, Station House Officer of Gujrat FIA police station claims the agency has arrested four more alleged human traffickers from Kharian and Mandi Bahauddin.

So far, at least 35 suspects involved in illegal human trafficking have been arrested, including a notorious trafficker, Saleem Suniara, by FIA Gujrat circle since the boat incident, he adds.

He says in the last four weeks around 125 cases have been registered against human traffickers in connection with the boat tragedy. The complainants also include those recently returning from Libya, he adds.

Most of these cases have been lodged under the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants’ Act 2018 and Immigration Ordinance, he says.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2023