NEWS media reported that about 64 undocumented Bangladeshi migrants who have been stuck in a boat off Tunisia for at least 14 days are refusing to come ashore in the North African country or abandon their quest of reaching Europe, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Libya said on Wednesday. A total of 75 migrants stranded on an Egyptian boat that rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea but which Tunisian authorities were barring from docking in a local port. Besides the Bangladeshi people, there are also Moroccans, Sudanese and Egyptians on that boat. All countries are trying to convince Tunisian authorities to let them in, the ambassador said.
The migrants on board the Egyptian boat had grown weak after being stranded at sea for two weeks. Yet they refuse food and medical services. They are demanding to enter Europe. They do not want to give up at this stage because they have already paid huge amounts of money to traffickers and have already suffered a lot for their desired trip. It’s not the first time. Dozens of Bangladeshi people are taking the perilous voyages. On May 10, about 65 migrants including, 39 Bangladeshis, drowned after their overcrowded boat lost air pressure and took on water.
It’s a big question, when the authorities have been demanding massive development along with increasing per capita income — at that time why so many Bangladeshi youths are taking life risk to get settled in Europe or other rich countries? At present, the maritime route from North Africa to Southern Europe is rife with activity by human smugglers. Local youths pay Tk 8-12 lakh to the human traffickers to go to a European country. Some could reach there and some lose their lives in the rough sea.
As Bangladesh does not have an embassy in Tunisia, we do urge the government take immediate measures to rescue the citizens through its mission in neighbouring Libya. At the same time, the relevant Ministries must find out the root cause of risky migration of the youths. We think, lack of job opportunity is the main reason behind it.
The migrants on board the Egyptian boat had grown weak after being stranded at sea for two weeks. Yet they refuse food and medical services. They are demanding to enter Europe. They do not want to give up at this stage because they have already paid huge amounts of money to traffickers and have already suffered a lot for their desired trip. It’s not the first time. Dozens of Bangladeshi people are taking the perilous voyages. On May 10, about 65 migrants including, 39 Bangladeshis, drowned after their overcrowded boat lost air pressure and took on water.
It’s a big question, when the authorities have been demanding massive development along with increasing per capita income — at that time why so many Bangladeshi youths are taking life risk to get settled in Europe or other rich countries? At present, the maritime route from North Africa to Southern Europe is rife with activity by human smugglers. Local youths pay Tk 8-12 lakh to the human traffickers to go to a European country. Some could reach there and some lose their lives in the rough sea.
As Bangladesh does not have an embassy in Tunisia, we do urge the government take immediate measures to rescue the citizens through its mission in neighbouring Libya. At the same time, the relevant Ministries must find out the root cause of risky migration of the youths. We think, lack of job opportunity is the main reason behind it.
