Their boat capsized off West Africa's Atlantic coastline, which has emerged as a primary point of departure for migrants aiming to reach Europe. View on euronews

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned in the capsizing of a boat off West Africa's Atlantic coastline, which has emerged as a primary point of departure for migrants aiming to reach Europe. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and stressed the need for strict measures to curb human trafficking.

The Pakistani government has launched an extensive crackdown on human traffickers, though hundreds of Pakistanis continue to perish annually while attempting to reach Europe. In 2023, an overcrowded boat carrying Pakistani migrants sank off Greece, killing an estimated 350 people in one of the deadliest incidents in the Mediterranean Sea.

Pakistani authorities have identified 21 nationals among the survivors of a tragic boat accident off the coast of Morocco that resulted in the deaths of 50 migrants, including 44 Pakistanis. The boat,