We sold our land, jewelry because my son insisted on going to Europe, says father of 13-year-old drowned in Greece

The perilous journey through the sea to Europe claimed life of 13-year-old Muhammad Abid, one of the migrants on the ship that capsized off the Greek coast. Driven by desperation, he pressured his parents to send him to Europe, threatening to leave home if they refused.

'We decided to send him to Europe illegally due to his stubbornness,' said Abid's father, Javed Iqbal, who works in Saudi Arabia as a carpenter. He added, 'Agents in our villages had already sent several boys to Greece and Italy.'

Javed revealed that he sold a piece of land and his wife's jewelry to give Rs2,600,000 to an agent who promised Abid's safe arrival in Europe.

Iqbal said that agents provoked his son, who threatened to leave the home if he was not sent to Europe. 

Abid was the third of four children of Javed Iqbal, who was declared dead by the foreign office in Pakistan in boat capsizing off the Greek island of Gavdos, south of Crete on December 14.

Abid's siblings attend school, but he dropped out, saying, 'I'll go abroad, there's no need for education,' his father recalled in an interview with the BBC. 'I asked him to come to me in Saudi Arabia, but he was desperate to go to Europe.'

"Abid was influenced by his cousins and other boys from the village who had gone to Europe. They shared videos on social media, and after watching these, Abid would constantly ask, 'When will I finally go to Europe?'

"He said that whenever his son returned home after meeting with the agents in the village, he would tell his mother, "If you don't arrange the money to send me abroad, I will leave home."

"I tried to make him understand," his father said, "and he would temporarily agree, but after a day or two, he would revert to his old ways."

"After paying money to the agent, 'My son flew to Egypt from Faisalabad and then traveled to Libya. He spent two months in Libya and then boarded the boat, which sank before reaching its destination."

Abid shared with his parents that he was facing some difficulties, but they were temporary, and he would reach his destination soon.

"We had no idea that the place he was envisioning as his destination was his death," said Abid's forlorn father, who began attempting to contact a friend in Greece after receiving news about the vessel capsizing .

"On Sunday, we were contacted by a friend in Greece who had gone to the migrant hospital where he confirmed that our son had died. A few minutes later, I received a call from the embassy with the same information."

“I have not told his Abid’s mother,” Javed said as she is not stable after learning about the incident. He told his wife that her son was being treated in the hospital because he was wounded in the incident.

“I am worried how I would face my wife, how I will tell her about her son’s death.” Javed said.