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The number of asylum seekers in the European Union has soared. The current situation is reminiscent of the 2015-2016 crisis, during which 1.3 million people illegally immigrant to Europe from the Middle East, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Driven by political and economic insecurity, migrants and refugees have long left Tunisia, Libya and Turkey, risking the perilous journey – nicknamed the harraga—across the Mediterranean or the Balkans for a new life in Europe.
Yet smuggling networks are an often overlooked aspect of traveling to the European Union. Human trafficking offers a way to stop many desperate asylum seekers And constitutes a very lucrative activity. EU efforts targeting these criminal networks are unlikely to succeed without taking these two factors into account.
The border crisis in Tunisia
As Libya has strengthened its border security over the past two years, Tunisia has become the main country departure illegal crossing point at sea. The city of Sfax, in particular, is a hub for illegal migrants, given its proximity to the Italian coast and outer islands. Between January and March this year, the Tunisian National Guard intercepted 14,406 migrants in waters outside Sfax. Furthermore, under the Tunisian regime legal code, these intercepted migrants are not considered offenders. Many attempt the trip several times.
Tunisia provides a particularly likely springboard to Europe for sub-Saharan nationals, as most do not need a visa to travel to Tunisia. Notably, the presence of black Africans in Tunisia is not new. First in the 18th and 19th centuries. slaves and now as low-wage workers, studentsand active professionals, the cohort is historically part of Tunisian society.
However, tensions between black foreign nationals and Tunisian Arab citizens have increased. On February 21, 2023, President Kais Saied, increasingly authoritarian, delivered a speech fueling racism and xenophobia. In this document, Saied sentenced the presence of black Africans in Tunisia, designating this group as a “demographic” threat intended to make Tunisia “just another African country that no longer belongs to the Arab and Islamic nations”. Since then, protests have increased and violence targeting sub-Saharan Africans, including those who reside long-term in Tunisia. Even the national government has committed offenses against the group, such as give up asylum seekers in isolated desert border areas near Algeria and Libya. This situation has certainly contributed to the influx of migrants towards the European Union, as the former North African enclaves have become hostile.
Human smugglers and the journey to Europe
Human smugglers constitute an inextricable link in the chain that leads migrants to the European Union. They function along two main routes: one through the Mediterranean and the other through the Balkans. Most migrants connect with smugglers through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.
The sea itinerary lasts between eight and ten hours. Migrants generally leave from Sfax, although some leave from the country’s capital, Tunis. Their destination This is often Lampedusa, an Italian island located 110 miles from Sfax.
The Balkan route is longer and more expensive, but is generally considered safer than the Mediterranean route. The journey involves two flights: from Tunis to Istanbul then to Belgrade. Once on the ground, the migrants travel some 220 kilometers to the Hungarian border. This stage of the journey is incredibly dangerous. Migrants often hide in the Radanovac forest with little access to food and water. After crossing the Hungarian border, some smugglers transport the migrants to Austria, which is part of the passport-free Schengen area. Once in Hungary or Austria, two EU member states, migrants apply for asylum. The gratitude rate for candidates is 40 percent.
A lucrative business
The growing number of illegal migrants is bad news for almost everyone involved. Like the European Union struggles or refuses to welcome the influx of asylum seekers, the perilous border crossing has caused hundreds of people death and counts of missing persons in 2023 alone. One group, however, appears to benefit from this crisis: the gangs that control human trafficking networks in Tunisia.
Human trafficking is very lucrative. The network across the Balkans is almost 50 millions euros (around $54 million) per year. Migrants using this route at least pay smugglers 7,000 euros (around $7,600) and even more to get to the Schengen area, while the Mediterranean route costs between 1,200 and 2,200 euros (approximately 1,300 to 2,400 US dollars). For comparison, Tunisia’s GDP per capita is approximately US$3,700significantly higher than the average for sub-Saharan countries US$1,600. Migrants therefore make a concerted effort to bear the cost of illicit trafficking. It is not uncommon for friends and family pool resources to finance a single person’s trip to Europe.
European officials indicate to these “ruthless smugglers” as the main obstacle to solving the migrant crisis. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte declared that the objective of the EU aid program recently proposed to Tunisia is to “kill this cynical economic model of the boat smuggler”. But this could prove difficult, given that Tunisian smuggling networks are more numerous decentralized than neighboring Libya, making it more difficult for the authorities to suppress them.
Not everyone blames smugglers for the current situation. Some criticize the European Union, saying its stricter immigration policies have encouraged smugglers to more dangerous routes. According to this reasoning, the EU aid program, which is linked to strict border control, will, if implemented, lead to more victims and missing people.
Nevertheless, states appear to take smuggling seriously. In 2014, and again in 2018, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) issued statements directly affirming that migrant smuggling is one of “the world’s most serious problems.” shameful crimes which deprives people of their dignity and fundamental rights. The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced that it had arrested more than 550 “organizers and intermediaries” of these criminal networks from this year, including a notorious smuggler already sentenced to 79 years in prison. Italy recently introduced an amendment that would make human trafficking leading to the death of migrants punishable by up to 30 years in prison. prison.
THE harraga without smugglers
Among migrants taking the Mediterranean route, there is a growing tendency to “self-smuggling.” Instead of paying a smuggler, these migrants band together to buy their own boat, engine and diesel. Given the difficulties of crossing the sea, these auto-smugglers often come from Tunisian coastal communities, where they have acquired some maritime knowledge.
The emergence of self-processing is likely a reaction to the smugglers’ primary goal of making a profit. They are known for overload boats or don’t buy enough diesel to get all the way to Italy. Romdhane Ben Amor, based in Tunis and spokesperson for the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights, observed that “many young people here don’t trust human traffickers. Many traffickers work with the police. They will take money from migrants, collect it and then hand it over to the police.”
In addition to eliminating the risk of being involved in human smuggling networks, self-smugglers have the ability to land in less visible locations. As large migrant boats dock in Lampedusa, the smugglers themselves can choose Sicily. Although self-trafficking is more expensive and logistically complicated than using a human smuggler, these migrants decided it was worth it.
But regardless of how asylum seekers choose to travel to Europe, the prevalence of smuggling networks will not diminish until migrants’ underlying motivations are addressed. Coordinated action between countries involved at all stages of this migratory wave could begin to mitigate the influence of this illicit trade.
Blanket photo by Olivier Jobard for the Audiovisual Service of the European Commission and licensed 2011/833/EU.
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