WESTERN countries do not have a heart for poor, non-white migrants. A recent BBC News report comprising leaked audios exposes the complicity of Greek authorities in the botched rescue attempts for the Adriana, which sank with 700 people onboard in 2023; 350 were Pakistanis and only 82 bodies were retrieved. In one call, Greek rescue officials order the captain to inform the approaching boat that passengers do not want to arrive in Greece. In another, they ask the “big red ship” captain to “write it in your logbook” that the migrants want to reach Italy. Their foul play was confirmed by a Pakistani survivor. This news coincided with the arrival of the remains of six Pakistanis lost in the boat tragedy off the Libyan coast; of the 63 nationals, 16 perished and, Pakistani authorities say, 37 survivors have been tracked but 10 are missing.

Pakistan does little for a populace wracked by deepening poverty and violence. Recently, the law minister stated that 1,638 human traffickers had been arrested and 458 were convicted. While a clampdown is desperately needed, what is the government’s blueprint for unemployment, pay gap, climate displacement, and other pressures that compel people to risk their lives for a better future? India and Bangladesh have accelerated development at home by providing skill training to their youth for employment. We, sadly, are a long way from ensuring peace and economic progress so that our citizens can willingly shun the dangers of flight. The fact that hundreds of Pakistanis who took illegal routes to Europe have perished is an international disgrace. The toll of the persistent internal and external cruelty perpetrated on our people should sear our collective conscience. As the truth behind Adriana and Lucky Star exposes Fortress Europe’s racism and xenophobia, Western nations must spare a thought for their own role in exacerbating the same conditions. That is the white man’s true burden.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025