With no end in sight to the tragedy unfolding on the Mediterranean Sea, Bangladesh government and European Commission (EU) will have to work together in order to curb human trafficking right now.
Bangladesh and EU also have to ensure improved and expanded safe and legal pathways for migrants. If the legal pathways are ensured, it will discourage the migrants to choose the illegal procedure for going abroad.
At least nine youths from Narsingdi of Bangladesh went missing after their trawler capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. They along with 12 other youths were crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a migrant trawler from Libya to Italy. But the trawler carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday night, some 40 minutes after the boat left a migrant camp on the Libyan coast.
There were 21 youths on the boat and 12 of them were rescued, but nine went missing, according to national and international newspapers and news agencies. According to family members of the victims, each family had to pay a man named Zakir Hossain and his aunt Shahinur Begum Tk 10 to Tk 12 lakh for each youth six months ago.
Zakir Hossain promised to take them to Italy via Libya. Seven other men from Narsingdi reportedly went missing and another died in a similar incident on Jun 24.
Human trafficking cannot
be prevented by a single
organisation or an agency
or entity rather concerted
effort of all concerned is required
Besides, due to extreme cold, many Bangladeshi youths died from hypothermia while crossing the Mediterranean Sea or other routes. So, this is not only a single tragic story of nine youths but we also continued witnessing such deaths of our young people while crossing Mediterranean Sea to trespass into the European countries illegally.
We have been noticing since long youths in different districts of the country have become desperate to migrate to European countries, even at great risk to their finances and personal safety. In consequence, many youths went missing while they were crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach European countries including Italy and Greece using Libya and Turkey as transit points along their route.
The government has taken various measures to promoting legal migration but many Bangladeshis try to reach European countries illegally resulting in tragic and frequent deaths in their perilous journey through the seas.
Therefore, all the conscious section of people will have to build strong and united resistance against human-trafficking so that our youths will not be allured to go abroad illegally. Besides, with the proper application of laws to stop human trafficking, creation of mass awareness particularly among youths and guardians is a must.
The organised international criminals’ groups in association with the local human traffickers are luring our youths into such danger with the promise of a luxurious life in European countries.
It is a priority for all us to work together with the government to refrain our youths from going Europe illegally.
