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Sixty-five Bangladeshis who survived nearly 24 hours adrift in the Mediterranean Sea after their boat ran out of fuel are now being held at a prison in Egypt.
They were rescued by a commercial vessel after their overcrowded rubber boat developed a leak, leaving them at risk of sinking while attempting to reach Greece.
According to a report from the Bangladesh Embassy in Cairo, the group of 69 people, including 65 Bangladeshis and four South Sudanese nationals, set out for Greece on October 8.
On October 11, their boat ran out of fuel, leaving them stranded in the open sea. After drifting for nearly 24 hours, water began entering the boat through a hole, raising fears that it could sink at any moment.
They were eventually rescued by a commercial vessel named Yang Ming and taken to Egypt’s Damietta Port on October 13.
The embassy said its Labour Secretary visited Damietta Prison on November 5 and spoke with the detained Bangladeshis. The official also checked on their welfare and arranged telephone conversations with their family members.
During the visit, the Bangladeshis alleged that human traffickers had lured them with promises of taking them to Europe and held them in inhumane conditions at different locations in Libya.
They said 69 people were crammed into a small rubber boat designed to carry around 30 passengers. Many had reportedly sold their land and homes and paid large sums of money to brokers in hopes of securing a better life in Europe.
The embassy’s Labour Secretary said efforts were underway to provide legal and consular assistance and secure their early repatriation through coordination with the relevant Egyptian authorities.
The mission is also working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to arrange air tickets for their return to Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Embassy has urged citizens to avoid dangerous irregular migration routes to Europe and instead seek opportunities abroad through safe and legal channels.
For the 65 Bangladeshis, the immediate priority is now to return home safely and reunite with their families.
