CRIME DIARY: LEAs require comprehensive approach to tackle human smuggling

Islamabad : Human smuggling is a multifaceted challenge for the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) that requires a comprehensive approach involving law enforcement, socio-economic reforms, and international cooperation.

For Pakistan, addressing the root causes of migration, dismantling smuggling networks, and raising public awareness are critical. By taking decisive action, Pakistan can not only protect its citizens from exploitation but also contribute to global efforts, specially, the Interpol, to curb human smuggling and ensure safe migration.

According to a report, a record 10,457 migrants, or 30 people a day, died trying to reach Spain in 2024, most while attempting to cross the Atlantic route from West African countries such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands. These tragedies highlight the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to address the root causes of migration, ensure safer migration processes, and hold human traffickers accountable.

Three catastrophic tragedies happened within a timeline of 383 days, from June 14, 2023, to January 2, 2025, indicating the ongoing global human trafficking crisis and unsafe nautical practices, resulting in tragic losses of life.

Greece Boat Tragedy occurred on June 14, 2023 in Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Greece when an angling vessel carrying over 750 migrants capsized due to overcrowding and poor navigation. The boat was reportedly en-route to Italy from Libya. Over 500 migrants drowned, including women and children, approximately 104 individuals were rescued by the Greek Coast Guard.

Overloading, coupled with mechanical failure, contributed to the tragedy. Survivors reported that smugglers had forced passengers onto the ill-equipped boat, promising safe passage to Europe. 2nd Libya Boat Tragedy took place on August 8, 2024, off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean Sea when a vessel carrying approximately 400 migrants sank after taking on water just hours after departing from a coastal city in Libya, resulted in deaths of 320 people, including several families, were reported dead or missing. While, 80 individuals were rescued by local fishermen and the Libyan Coast Guard.

Third boat tragedy happened on January 2, 2025, in English Channel, between France and the UK, when a small inflatable yacht carrying 48 migrants sank in the freezing waters of the English Channel while attempting to reach the UK. 34 people, including infants, succumbed to hypothermia or drowned, while, 14 were rescued by UK and French authorities in a joint operation.

In all the three cases, the vessels were heavily overloaded and ill-suited for the harsh winter conditions in the Channel. Survivors reported that smugglers provided little guidance and abandoned them mid-journey. The underlying issues and causes of the tragedies were almost symmetrical exposing recurring refrains as Human Smugglers exploit vulnerable migrants seeking better opportunities, charging exorbitant fees for perilous journeys.

All the three episodes involved boats operating beyond their capacity, with minimal safety measures and despite recurring incidents, global efforts to prevent such tragedies remain fragmented and reactive.

These tragedies highlight poor implementation of law and the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to address the root causes of migration, ensure safer migration processes, and hold human traffickers accountable. The three devastating boat tragedies serve as grim reminders of the urgent need to address human smuggling globally and particularly in Pakistan. As a key source and transit country for migrants, Pakistan faces unique challenges in combating this criminal enterprise.

Many Pakistanis seek better opportunities abroad due to limited prospects at home, while, at the same time human smugglers exploit economic desperation, offering false promises of lucrative jobs or asylum in Europe and the Middle East on the cost of their lives.

Corruption within law enforcement and border agencies enables traffickers to operate with impunity. Arrests are often focused on low-level agents rather than the masterminds behind smuggling networks.

Inquiry reports were verbalized and submitted to the top hierarchy of the government. A detailed inquiry report was accumulated by an expert of dealing such cases with diagnoses the causes occurrences and suggestions to pawn them including establish specialized anti-trafficking units with trained personnel, use modern technology, such as biometrics, surveillance systems, to monitor borders effectively and crackdown on corruption within law enforcement to ensure accountability. But unfortunately, it was ignored resulted in replication of the same tragedies of August 2014 and January, 2025.

Although, the top ladder of the federal investigation agency took action against the officials of the department involved in facilitating the human smuggling mafia, dismissed them from services and lodged criminal cases against them and now black listed them for posting in immigration department at international airports but remained ineffective.