Illegal Migration to Europe: 335 Pakistanis Killed in Boat Tragedies Over Four Years
At least 335 Pakistani nationals have died in boat accidents while attempting to reach Europe illegally over the past four years, according to documents obtained by Express News from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The records detail seven fatal shipwrecks since June 2023.The deadliest incident occurred in June 2023, when a boat carrying 226 Pakistanis…
At least 335 Pakistani nationals have died in boat accidents while attempting to reach Europe illegally over the past four years, according to documents obtained by Express News from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The records detail seven fatal shipwrecks since June 2023.
The deadliest incident occurred in June 2023, when a boat carrying 226 Pakistanis sank en route to Greece, killing 207 people and leaving only 19 survivors. In December 2024, another vessel bound for Greece capsized with 69 Pakistanis aboard — 25 died while 44 were rescued.
In January 2025, a boat accident near Morocco involved 70 Pakistani passengers. The following month, in February 2025, a shipwreck off the coast of Libya claimed the lives of 23 out of 40 identified Pakistani victims, with 13 rescued alive.
FIA records also point to four major boat disasters linked to “donkey” (illegal migration) routes departing from Libya during 2025 and 2026 — in February, April, and October 2025, and again in April 2026 — affecting 102 Pakistanis, of whom 71 died and 30 survived.
