Pakistan’s Youth Risk Lives on Perilous ‘Dunki’ Journeys to Europe Despite Deadly Toll

Shahid Aslam
On a cold afternoon in January 2025, Sharif received a call that would change his family forever. His 19-year-old son Ahmad was among the 40 Pakistanis who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea when an overcrowded boat capsized off the Moroccan coast. “We sold our land and paid everything we had,” Sharif of Gujranwala said to this correspondent on phone, his voice breaking. “We thought if even one son made it to Europe, he could pull us out of poverty.” Ahmad was among hundreds of young Pakistanis attempting what is locally known as Dunki — an illegal and dangerous journey toward Europe via land and sea routes managed by human smuggling networks. Despite repeated tragedies, warnings from authorities, and the tightening of European borders, thousands continue to attempt the journey each year. 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, according to Walking Borders. In June 2023, hundreds of migrants drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever in the Mediterranean Sea and there were at least 209 Pakistanis on the boat. In April the same year, Pakistanis among dozens dead as two migrant boats sank in the Mediterranean off different towns in western Libya. Similarly, in February 2023, Pakistanis were among 59 people killed when a wooden sailing boat carrying migrants crashed against rocks on the southern Italian coast. Growing unemployment, more and more Pakistani youth are turning to human traffickers to escape the country. According to data of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), around 40,000 Pakistanis were deported in 2023 alone. North African country, Morocco is considered as the closest point between Europe and Africa that’s why many migrants choose this country to enter into Europe while crossing the shores of Mediterranean Sea. According to a report, in 2024, over 46,000 people crossed into Spain from Morocco. In background discussions with survivors, families, smugglers, and law enforcement officials, it was found that the practice of illegal migration remains rampant — fuelled by poverty, despair, and a systemic failure of governance. Human smuggling has grown into a sophisticated, billion-rupee industry in Pakistan, particularly in central Punjab districts like Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, and Sialkot. Many of these villages are known locally as “Dunki hubs”, where agents — often former migrants themselves — openly advertise routes to Europe. “The authorities know who we are,” admitted one smuggler in Gujrat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But we pay them. And some local ‘big guns’ protect us.” Migrants typically pay between Rupees 2.5 to Rupees million (USD 7,000–14,000) to make the journey. The routes differ — many begin in Balochistan and pass through Iran, Turkey, and Greece. Others head to Libya, aiming to cross the Mediterranean into Italy. All are fraught with risk. “From Quetta to Istanbul, there are layers of agents who pass them along like parcels,” said a senior officer at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which handles anti-trafficking operations. “By the time they reach Europe, if they make it, they are broke, traumatised, or worse — dead.” Despite repeated reports of drownings, kidnappings, and abuse, the appeal of Europe remains strong for many in Pakistan. According to the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment over 727381 people left Pakistan for employment purposes through legal means. Till March 2025, around 58000 have left so far through legal means. A report “Perilous Journeys: Unravelling Irregular Migration from Pakistan,” launched by National Commission on Human Rights Pakistan (NCHRP) in collaboration with International Organisation on Migration (IOM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Denmark and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said that 40% Pakistanis wanted to leave country. The report also noted Pakistan among top five countries accounting for illegal immigration to Europe. “In the first half of 2023, around 13,000 left Pakistan for Libya or Egypt. Notably, about 10,000 of these migrants have not returned. The report further states that in 2022, Pakistan was not even among Europe’s top ten countries for migration. “However, by mid-2023, it became the tenth most prominent, with arrivals reaching 8778 December. This surge reflects factors such as political and economic uncertainty, terrorist attacks, inflation, and declining education and job opportunities. Furthermore, the devastating floods in 2023 worsened economic prospects, with forecasts predicting a slowdown to 2.8 per cent growth,” says the report. Walking Borders, a Spanish-based NGO, estimates that at least 955 people of Pakistani origin died while attempting to cross from Libya to Italy in 2023 alone. According to a report prepared by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2018, over 36% children migrating illegally to Europe through were of Pakistani origin. For young men like Ahmad from Gujranwala, the decision to leave is driven by despair. “I have a degree in economics, but I’ve been unemployed for two years,” he said. “I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to rot here either.” Pakistan’s official unemployment rate hovers around 5.49% in 2023 and 6.13% in 2022, but experts believe the real number — particularly for youth — is far higher. Inflation though reportedly to be miracalously dropped to 2.4% in January 2025 according to official figures, however, it was over 28% in 2024, has crippled household incomes. Even those with jobs earn little more than subsistence wages. Saeed was one of the survivors of the Moroccan boat disaster in January 2025. “I watched people drown next to me,” he said. “I held onto a dead body for hours just to stay afloat.” Others are not as lucky. In Libya, scores of Pakistanis have been detained in unofficial prisons run by militias. According to an Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official, some were tortured for ransom. “Families back home received videos of their sons being beaten.” For the parents left behind, the grief is endless. The FIA official admitted that efforts to combat smuggling have yielded limited results. “Our problem is not just the agents on the ground.” He added, “It’s the protection they enjoy from influential figures. Every time we go after a big name, someone calls from the top asking us to back off.” Pakistani authorities have pledged to crack down on smugglers. In the aftermath of the recent disaster, the interior ministry announced arrests as well dismissals from service to hundreds of FIA officials. But most of the arrests were low-level operatives. The European governments have also ramped up pressure on Pakistani authorities. The border agencies has increased surveillance across the Mediterranean and the Balkans, making crossings even more dangerous. But tighter borders have not deterred migrants — they’ve only made the journey deadlier. On the other hand, Pakistani efforts are also underway to deal with this menace but battle against human traffickers faces many challenges. There are black sheep in the FIA department who allegedly mint money from human trafficking business. Recently, a report complied on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the role of FIA officials in supporting human traffickers has been documented and strict actions against the accused officials were recommended. In 2024, FIA Lahore has uncovered that in 2024, over 160 of its own officials were involved in human trafficking networks due to which this battle is still going on. Talking to this correspondent, Incharge FIA Gujranwala circle Deputy Director Ahmad Rizwan said strict actions were being taken against those involved in this notorious business of human trafficking. “We are committed to hunt those criminals down who are involved [in human trafficking] and playing with the lives of innocent people.” According to Ahmad, the FIA officials also face challenges in prosecuting the accused human smugglers when they arrest them after a hectic effort. “When we arrest someone involved in this dirty business, the complainant withdraws from the case for one or the other reason which makes the case tough to prosecute in the court of law.” Recently, he added, FIA managed to arrest an accused human smuggler from Balochistan after several days of manhunt but soon the case reached to a court, the complainant withdrew his application and the entire effort went into dustbin. The DD FIA further said more coordination of law enforcement agencies is needed to combat this menace as this business is taking place in various parts of the country, predominantly in Punjab.