Hassan Ali survives the Mediterranean: never go this dangerous way!

Hassan Ali survives the Mediterranean: never go this dangerous way!

Gujrat, Pakistan - A survivor tells: Hassan Ali, a 23-year-old man from Pakistan, has experienced the unimaginable. He fell into the icy waters of the Mediterranean and thought of his two little sons, whose smiles and hug gave him strength. But while he drove in the dark of the sea, he also remembered the others from his home village, who had the same dream: a better life in Europe. "I heard of so many others," says Hassan, who speaks from a refugee camp in Malakasa near Athens. "I couldn't swim and thought I would drown."

But then the rescue came! A rope was thrown at him and he clung to it as if it were his last stop. Hassan was the first to be saved by a merchant ship in the early morning of December 14th. Numerous other survivors were recovered in the following two days, but the tragedy had already asked for many victims. At least five people died while more than 200 were saved. The Greek authorities confirmed that three boats capsized between 14 and 15 December near the island of Gavdos.

The desperate escape

Hassan's journey began three and a half months ago when he left his wife and two little sons in their village near Gujrat. He worked as a steel builder and earned just enough to make rounds. "In Pakistan it is impossible to live with such an income dignified," he explains. In order to offer his family a better future, he decided to take the dangerous way to Europe. The family sold land and jewelry to finance the trip - almost two million rupees, about $ 7,100.

The trip took him via Saudi Arabia and Dubai to Libya, where he was held in a camp. "We were treated brutally," he reports. The men lived under inhumane conditions, could hardly get to eat and were punished with every little offense. "We were allowed to go to the toilet once a day for five minutes," says Hassan. “Anyone who complained was hit with poles.”

a miracle of rescue

The rescue was a miracle, but the grief for the lost life remains. The Pakistani embassy in Athens confirmed that at least 35 compatriots are still missing. "After what we have experienced, I can only warn: never go this way," says Hassan. "It is not worth the risk."