750 migrants became the victims of one the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean on June 14, 2023. The tragedy was the result of the poor conditions of the boat faced by many helpless refugees seeking better lives. All the passengers were united with one statement: “Left without a choice
One of the passengers who fled with his family on the rickety boat was Thaer Khalid al-Rahal, 32, who had a four-year-old son diagnosed with leukemia. They resided in a Jordanian Refugee Camp for a decade after fleeing from Syria’s bitter war and they were forced to find a passage to Europe for better medical care as the agency funds dwindled. “Thaer thought he had no choice,” said Thaer’s cousin.
In Egypt, another victim by the name of Mohamed Abdelnasser, 37, began his unfortunate journey with the creeping realization that his carpentry work could not support his family.
For Matloob Hussain, 42, his journey began the day his Greek residency renewal was rejected, sending him back to Pakistan, where his salary helped put food on the table for 20 extended family members amid a crippling economic crisis. Although all these victims had different stories, they all found their way onto the doomed boat without a choice.
On June 8, the boat left the Libyan port of Tobruk carrying its passengers to their tragic demise. Six days later, after the boat capsized, only 104 survivors made it to the shores of Greece while the rest were either claimed by the sea or recovered by the officials. Although the boat carried countless poverty-stricken passengers, it never sparked a search and rescue party or made it into international headlines. The Titanic submersible on the other hand, only carried 5 passengers, most of whom were billionaires and yet they received a proper rescue.
With all these victims left without a choice, the smugglers demanded an exorbitant 4500 USD per person. Exploiting these passengers by charging them to ride a poorly built ship is inhumane. Many families are in distress from these tragic chains of events as they are preparing for the worst. The horrific event has led to many lives being lost and has put many of the passengers in a worse place than before.
One of the passengers who fled with his family on the rickety boat was Thaer Khalid al-Rahal, 32, who had a four-year-old son diagnosed with leukemia. They resided in a Jordanian Refugee Camp for a decade after fleeing from Syria’s bitter war and they were forced to find a passage to Europe for better medical care as the agency funds dwindled. “Thaer thought he had no choice,” said Thaer’s cousin.
In Egypt, another victim by the name of Mohamed Abdelnasser, 37, began his unfortunate journey with the creeping realization that his carpentry work could not support his family.
For Matloob Hussain, 42, his journey began the day his Greek residency renewal was rejected, sending him back to Pakistan, where his salary helped put food on the table for 20 extended family members amid a crippling economic crisis. Although all these victims had different stories, they all found their way onto the doomed boat without a choice.
On June 8, the boat left the Libyan port of Tobruk carrying its passengers to their tragic demise. Six days later, after the boat capsized, only 104 survivors made it to the shores of Greece while the rest were either claimed by the sea or recovered by the officials. Although the boat carried countless poverty-stricken passengers, it never sparked a search and rescue party or made it into international headlines. The Titanic submersible on the other hand, only carried 5 passengers, most of whom were billionaires and yet they received a proper rescue.
With all these victims left without a choice, the smugglers demanded an exorbitant 4500 USD per person. Exploiting these passengers by charging them to ride a poorly built ship is inhumane. Many families are in distress from these tragic chains of events as they are preparing for the worst. The horrific event has led to many lives being lost and has put many of the passengers in a worse place than before.
