We are deeply shocked and saddened at the death of nine people including Bangladeshis who perished in the Mediterranean Sea when their boat capsized after it caught on February 15. Most of the victims were Bangladeshi nationals, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Libya says.
This was the latest tragic incident taking place in the Mediterranean Sea. People from different countries often fall victim to such accident while travelling by boat to Europe in search of fortune.
Tunisian Navy rescued 26 Bangladeshis from the boat that sank into Mediterranean Sea.
Many Bangladeshi nationals have been killed in the sinking of overcrowded fishing trawlers off the coast of Greece in the last few years.
Our young people often meet with their tragic end while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to go to different European countries illegally. We have noticed over the past years, youths in different districts of the country are desperate to migrate to European countries without caring about the personal safety.
Many Bangladeshi nationals
have been killed in the sinking
of overcrowded fishing trawlers
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. And a good number of them went missing before they reached their destination.
The government has taken various measures to promote legal migration but many Bangladeshis try to reach European countries illegally often resulting in tragic deaths during their perilous journey through the seas. They are desperate to go Europe in the hope of changing their lot.
Italy and Greece are major routes to go to Europe for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and other migrants. According to the International Organisation for Migration, over 3,000 migrants have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from various countries to Europe in 2023. To date, 1,245 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated from Libya since July 2023. The Middle-class youths are joining exodus of poor migrant workers to Italy and France but not all survive the journey. 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 criminal 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.