Hassan Ali: Never again this dangerous way to Europe!

Hassan Ali: Never again this dangerous way to Europe!

Gujrat, Pakistan - A survivor tells: Hassan Ali, a 23-year-old Pakistani, has experienced the unimaginable. He fell into the icy waters of the Mediterranean and thought of his two little sons, which he had left behind. In a moment of despair, surrounded by darkness and cold, he imagined how many others from his home village in the Punjab Province, who also pursued the dream of Europe, had their last thoughts on their homeland.

"I had heard of so many," reports Hassan, while talking about a refugee camp in Malakasa, near Athens. "I couldn't swim and was sure that I would drown." But then the incredible happened: a rope was thrown at him. "I held out as if it were my life." Hassan was the first to be saved by a merchant ship in the early morning of December 14th. A dramatic rescue operation that lasted two days and were involved in the nine ships, including the Greek coast guard.

The tragedy at sea

Not all survivors could be saved. Greek authorities confirmed at least five dead and more than 200 survivors after four separate rescue campaigns. It is tragic that three boats capsized between the 14th and 15th December near the island of Gavdos. At least 35 Pakistan are still missing.

Hassan's journey began over three months ago when he left his family near the Gujrat industrial city. With an income of $ 42,000 ($ 150) a month, it was impossible for him to live a dignified life. "You can't live with such a salary in Pakistan," he explains. He desperately decided to take the dangerous way to Europe. His family sold land and jewelry to finance the trip.

The hell in Libya

Hassan experienced the horror in Libya. Instead of being placed on a boat, he landed in a crowded camp, where more than 100 men were locked up in a small room. "We got a piece of bread every day and only had a five -minute break of the toilet," he says. Those who complained were brutally beaten. "It was a nightmare." Finally they were cried on a crowded boat that was designed for 40 people and continued the dangerous journey over the Mediterranean.

After 40 hours at sea, the boat capped. "When I fell into the water, I held my breath," recalls Hassan. But fate had meant well with him: he reached for the saving rope and was pulled on board. "It's a miracle that I survived," he says with a touch of unbelief in the voice.

Now Hassan lives in the Malakasa refugee camp, surrounded by others survivors, and has a clear message for everyone who is considering similar ways: "After what we have experienced, I ask everyone to never choose this way. It is not worth the risk."