Desperate seas

Another boat has sunk. Another set of numbers: 76 dead, dozens missing, all of them once real people with dreams, families and the shared hope of a better life. This time, the tragedy unfolded off Yemen’s southern coast, where a vessel carrying mostly Ethiopian migrants capsized in the Gulf of Aden. The survivors, just 32 of them, were pulled from the wreckage of a journey that has now become tragically routine. They were trying to cross what is known as the ‘Eastern Route’, a sea corridor between the Horn of Africa and Yemen, en route to the Gulf states. This is not the first time we are writing about such a tragedy and sadly, it will probably not be the last. Earlier in the year, we noted that nearly 9,000 migrants had died on migration routes in 2024 alone. That number included people fleeing from Pakistan, where economic despair and political chaos have left many with little faith in a better tomorrow. We have in earlier editorials tried to explore the root causes: IMF-led economic reforms that erode public welfare, the hollowing out of basic services and the deadly resurgence of militancy.

These migrants are survivors. But in the global conversation on migration, their humanity is often stripped away. The countries they hope to reach rarely pause to consider the conditions that force people to risk their lives on unseaworthy boats. The emphasis remains on fortifying borders, detaining arrivals or striking political deals to keep migrants out of sight and mind. Meanwhile, the places from where these migrants originate bear their own blame. Policymakers appear incapable of addressing the root causes of migration and in many cases, their actions (or inaction) fuel the very conditions that push people out. There are no jobs, no healthcare, no public safety. And yet, not every migrant leaves through irregular means. A parallel story is playing out – one of sanctioned, structured and state-facilitated migration. According to fresh data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), over 336,000 Pakistanis registered for overseas employment in the first half of 2025. The vast majority are headed to Saudi Arabia, which alone accounted for over 70 per cent of all registrations.

Most of these workers are ‘unskilled’: nearly 200,000 are labourers and over 73,000 are drivers. Yet, a steady stream of skilled professionals – engineers, doctors, technicians, accountants – also continues. This dual trend shows migration is not just a humanitarian crisis but an economic lifeline. Remittances, especially from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, accounted for nearly half of Pakistan’s $3.41 billion inflow in June 2025. The state depends on this outflow while doing little to protect migrant rights. But many can’t access formal channels. Too poor, desperate, or unconnected, they turn to the sea. Migration today symbolises desperation met with dehumanisation. We can no longer afford neglect. What’s needed is not more fences, but radical empathy, investment in fragile states and global de-escalation.