THE recent shipwreck in Greece has shaken us to evaluate where we are heading as a nation. According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, more than 800,000 Pakistanis left the country in 2022, which is indeed the highest number since 2016.

British writer and poet Warsan Shire has rightly said: “No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.” The precarious situation of the economy and political turmoil has engulfed the hopes and aspirations of the youth of Pakistan. It is ironic to note that a large number of educated people are migrating, legally and illegally, from Pakistan in search of job opportunities in European countries.

Illegal migrants risk their lives for a brighter future. Moreover, the lifetime savings of their parents are utilised for such dangerous and illegal journeys in search of greener pastures. The government has been awakened from deep slumber and a crackdown has been launched against those who exploit the gullible for their lust for money. However, this is not enough. There is a dire need to address the core reason for illegal migration that results in such tragedies.

Crackdown against the perpetrators is just like pruning the bushes. This tragedy can be turned into an opportunity to root out a menace that has been taking the lives of hundreds of young people every year who migrate in search of a better future.

Sidra Shahid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2023