The Foreign Office announced on Sunday that it has set up a Crisis Management Unit to assist Pakistanis impacted by the recent boat capsizing incident off the southern coast of Crete.
So far, one Pakistani has been confirmed dead, and 47 others have been rescued, based on initial reports. However, officials have stated they cannot yet provide an accurate count of the deceased or missing Pakistani nationals.
The Pakistani Embassy in Athens is in touch with the local Coast Guard, which is actively engaged in the ongoing search and rescue operations. Embassy representatives have traveled to Crete to meet with those who have been rescued and offer necessary support.
Pakistani citizens living in Greece and their families are encouraged to contact the Crisis Management Unit for more information. They can reach the unit by the following phone number: 051-9207887 or email at: cmu1@mofa.gov.pk. Families searching for missing individuals are advised to call the Pakistani Embassy at: +30-6943850188.
On Saturday, reports indicated that a wooden migrant boat capsized near Gavdos, resulting in at least five fatalities, with many others possibly unaccounted for. As search efforts continue, a range of vessels, including coastguard boats, merchant ships, an Italian frigate, and naval aircraft, are searching the area since the incident was reported on Friday evening.
In related events on Saturday, a Malta-flagged cargo ship rescued 47 migrants, while a tanker assisted another 88, both taking place off Gavdos. Initial reports suggest these boats departed together from Libya.
Greece has long been a primary entry point for migrants seeking to reach the European Union, with a surge in arrivals seen between 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, incidents involving migrant boats have become more frequent in recent years, particularly near Crete and Gavdos. In 2023 alone, numerous migrants lost their lives in one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest maritime disasters, when an overcrowded vessel sank off the coast of Pylos.
