Express.co.uk: (Must read and listen!)-Migrant smuggling trade worth BILLIONS a year as lawless gangs compete against each other

From: Berhane Habtemariam <Berhane.Habtemariam59_at_gmx.de_at_dehai.org>
Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2016 00:20:49 +0200

Migrant smuggling trade worth BILLIONS a year as lawless gangs compete against each other

THE MIGRANT smuggling trade is worth BILLIONS each year and is made up of sophisticated networks spanning several continents, with Africa now cashing in.

boatGETTY

The eastern Mediterranean route and the African and central Mediterranean route are still popular

A newly released study into the illegal industry outlined the burgeoning business in human flesh with rival smuggling gangs now competing against one another for trade. 

The two main popular routes are still heavily in use, the eastern Mediterranean route - passing through Turkey to the Greek islands in the Aegean - and the African and central Mediterranean route. 

Migrants take several different paths crossing the African continent, the western route crossing Mali, Nigeria and Niger up to Tripoli via Qatrun and Sabha, and the eastern rite taking in Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan towards Al Kufrah in the eastern Libyan Desert.

Frontex estimates the people smuggling industry is worth €4billion a year (£3.4bn), with the cash now being used to fund criminal organisations other illegal trades in drugs, weapons and other dubious activities. 

One region which has blossomed in migrant smuggling operations is Libya, Frontex identified, saying: “The virtual absence of rule of law in Libya since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 appears to have created near-perfect operating conditions for criminal gangs.

“The Libyan leg of the journey is jealously controlled by local militiamen, whose ranks have been swollen by former soldiers of the Gaddafi regime.”

Many migrant workers who lived in Libya for years, such as Bangladeshis, are now cashing in on the trade and operating as recruiters, brokering deals between migrants and the Libyan criminal underworld. 

The Migrant Crisis through pictures

Mon, September 19, 2016

Hundreds of migrants are continuing to arrive in Europe as they flee the scenes of chaos and brutality of the Islamic State in the Middle East.

   
   
   
   
2,500 lifejackets, worn by refugees during crossings from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios, are displayed on Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament
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2,500 lifejackets, worn by refugees during crossings from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios, are displayed on Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament

  • 2,500 lifejackets, worn by refugees during crossings from Turkey to the Greek island of Chios, are displayed on Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament
  • Rahela Sidiqi, a trustee of Women for Refugee Women and originally from Afghanistan, poses for a photograph among lifejackets that have been used by refugees to cross the sea to Europe as they are laid out in Parliament Square
  • Demonstrators listen to speeches after taking part in a march calling for the British parliament to welcome refugees in the UK in central London on September 17, 2016
  • Protesters display placards and banners as they march to the Houses of Parliament during a demonstration, organised by Amnesty International, to show support for refugees on September 17, 2016 in London
  • A woman walks through life jackets which have been collected from the beaches of Chios, Greece and used by adults and children,on display at the Brooklyn Bridge park ahead of next week's UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York on September 16,2016
  • French gendarmes secure the area as migrants queue up before being evacuated from a makeshift migrant camp set up between the metro stations of Jaures and Stalingrad, in Paris
  • Migrants gather and wait before being evacuated from a makeshift migrant camp set up between the metro stations of Jaures and Stalingrad, in Paris
  • Migrants pose outside a Red Cross center in the city of Ventimiglia on the French-Italian border
  • Migrants and refugees protesting against deportation and for better conditions camp out next to Sendlinger Tor city gate
  • Migrants from the 'Jungle' migrant camp who have been denied access to a bus heading to a
  • US actress and UNHCR special envoy and Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie holds a press conference at Al- Azraq camp for Syrian refugees
  • Syrian refugees walk on their way back to the Syrian city of Jarabulus
  • A migrant holds his child up to the fence after leaving flowers, on the Greek side of the border fence
  • Migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, sit on a field near the Serbian-Hungarian border fence during a hunger strike
  • Migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, sit on a field near the Serbian-Hungarian border fence during a hunger strike
  • Rescued migrants arrive at the port of Santa Lucia
  • Rescued migrants arrive at the port of Santa Lucia
  • Rescued migrants arrive at the port of Santa Lucia
  • 500 migrants saved from boat in the Mediterranean Sea
  • 500 migrants saved from boat in the Mediterranean Sea
  • 500 migrants saved from boat in the Mediterranean Sea
  • 500 migrants saved from boat in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Migrants climb on top of a lorry whilst trying to cross the border
  • Migrants clash with police
  • Migrants clash with police
  • Migrants crouch down on a lorry to try and cross the border in Calais
  • Mirants clash with police in Calais
  • Migrants clash with police
  • A refugee boy rests in the makeshift camp situated at the old Athens airport
  • Spanish Army rescues migrants at sea
  • 58 Sub-Saharian immigrants rescued
  • 58 Sub-Saharian immigrants rescued
  • 58 Sub-Saharian immigrants rescued
  • A rescue operation of migrants and refugees at sea, off the coast of Sicily
  • Coastguard rescues 19 migrants from inflatable boat in English Channel
  • A rescue operation of migrants and refugees at sea, off the coast of Sicily
  • A rescue operation of migrants and refugees at sea, off the coast of Sicily
  • Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants are rescued from a capsized boat during a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants from a capsized boat are rescued during a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants from a capsized boat are rescued during a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants from a capsized boat are rescued during a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants from a capsized boat are rescued during a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrants are seen on a capsizing boat before a rescue operation by Italian navy ships
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrant crisis in Paris
  • Migrants are lined up as they disembark the German naval vessel Frankfurt Am Main in the Sicilian harbour of Pozzallo
  • Migrants are inspected by policemen as they disembark the German naval vessel Frankfurt Am Main in the Sicilian harbour of Pozzallo
  • Refugee families walk through fields under mountains towards the Greek-Macedonia border on March 03, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • Refugee families dry documents on the railway line at the Greek-Macedonia border on March 03, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • Refugee families walk through fields under mountains towards the Greek-Macedonia border on March 03, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • A migrant sits next to the riot police as other migrants block the railway track at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the village of Idomeni, Greece March 3, 2016
  • Iraqi migrants without valid documents walk towards the transit center near Gevgelija at the Macedonian-Greek border after being turned back by the police from Macedonia border with Serbia, on February 26, 2016
  • Syrian refugee man tries to start a fire to warm himself and his family as they wait on a beach close to Turkish coastal town of Dikili, Turkey
  • Macedonian policemen stand guard in a security corridor by the Greece-Macedonia border near Gevgelija on March 2, 2016
  • A child holds a bag with bread on February 25, 2016 at the relocation center for migrants and refugees in Schisto, near Athens
  • Macedonian policemen patrol on a path between barbed-wire fences at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija, on March 1, 2016
  • Refugees run away for tear gas near the fence on the Greek-Macedonia border during clashes with Macedonian forces on February 29, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • Macedonian soldiers patrol between the fences at the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near Gevgelija, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 02 March 2016
  • Macedonian riot policemen patrol at the Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, Macedonia March 1, 2016
  • Macedonian police patrols at the Macedonian-Greek border in Gevgelija, Macedonia February 26, 2016
  •  A view of the barbed wire fence along the Greek-Macedonia border on March 01, 2016 near Idomeni, Greece
  • Migrants and refugees walk on a path by a fence and barbed wire at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija, on March 1, 2016
  • Refugees queue for food at an improvised refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border near Idomeni on February 28, 2016
  • Refugees wake up outside a transit camp which has become overcrowded as refugees continue to arrive from Athens and the Greek Islands on February 28, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • Syrian migrants wear life-jackets and  life-belts before boarding a dinghy to cross the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesbos from the Ayvacik coast in Canakkale on February 28, 2016
  • Syrian migrants wear life-jackets and  life-belts before boarding a dinghy to cross the Aegean Sea to the Greek island of Lesbos from the Ayvacik coast in Canakkale on February 28, 2016
  • Syrian and Iraqi refugees wait for hours to cross the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni on  February 27, 2016
  • Refugees line up for food in a transit camp which has become overcrowded as refugees continue to arrive from Athens and the Greek Islands on February 28, 2016 in Idomeni, Greece
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • A migrant family rests at one of the terminal buildings in the port of Piraeus, where more than 1,500 migrants and refugees are temporarily staying, on February 27, 2016 in Athens, Greece
  • People take part in a rally asking for a change in the refugee policy in Europe as part of an international initiative in favour of better living conditions of migrants, in Brussels, Belgium February 27, 2016
  • Refugees are seen in the village of Idomene, Greece near the Macedonian border after Macedonia opened its borders to 300 refugees on February 27, 2016
  • Stranded migrants and refugees line up during food distribution at a camp by the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni, February 25, 2016
  • Motors of boats in Mytilene, island of Lesbos, Greece, on February 24, 2016
  • Migrants break the fence on the Greek-Macedonia border
  • Migrants speak to the press on the Greek-Macedonia border
  • A group of refugees forced the gate in an attempt to enter Macedonia
  • Macedonian forces react after migrants broke the fence on the Greek-Macedonia border
  • Stranded migrants try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border
  • Stranded refugees and migrants
  • Stranded refugees and migrants
  • Stranded refugees and migrants
  • A girl cries as she flees clashes
  • A young boy is covered with a blanket as he struggles to keep warm near the village of Idomeni, Greece
  • Migrants cross the railway tracks as they wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border
  • Refugees and migrants sleep in a tent at a camp as they wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border near the village of Idomeni
  • A group of migrants walk in sub zero temperatures in Presevo, Serbia
  • A family of migrants cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia
  • A group of migrants carry their belongings as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia
  • A father carries a small child in sub zero temperatures
  • A refugee carries a baby wrapped in a blanket while walking in freezing weather towards the border with Serbia from the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce
  • A group of migrants try to keep warm as they cross the Serbian border
  • Refugees prepare themselves at the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce before continuing their journey to Serbia
  • Refugees from Syria try to warm themselves up in a tent at the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce
  • Refugees from Afghanistan walk towards the border with Serbia from the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce
  • A refugee woman and a child, wrapped in thermal blankets, walk in freezing weather towards the border with Serbia from the transit center for refugees near northern Macedonian village of Tabanovce
  • A migrant mother carries her baby
  • A man claiming to be from Iran
  • A migrant with his mouth sewn
  • Iranian migrant lies on rail tracks at the Greek-Macedonian border
  • Slovenian policemen watch fire outbreak in camp
  • Smoke rises and fires tear through a camp
  • Smoke rises from a camp in Croatia
  • Slovenian police the fire in Migrant camp
  • A plume of smoke rises
  •  Slovenian Armed Forces watch a fire outbreak
  • Migrants situation at the Slovenian border
  • Slovenian policemen fire sweeps migrant camp
  • A fire sweeps through the Croatian migrant camp
  • A fire sweeps through the Croatian migrant camp
  • A fire sweeps through the Croatian migrant camp
  • A fire sweeps through the Croatian migrant camp
  • Migrant victory sign
  • Migrant families walk to border
  • Police migrants border
  • Syrian migrants
  • Migrants refugees waiting border
  • Migrant mother and child
  • Migrants people refugees waiting border
  • Migrant families waiting border
  • Greece Macedonia border migrant families
  • Sleeping migrant
  • Familes arriving border
  • Migrant sitting campsite
  • Campsite for migrants
  • Migrant campsite
  • Migrant campsite
  • Soldiers Police campsite
  • Soldiers Police patrol
  • Migrant familes on train
  • Waiting at the border
  • Waving from a train
  • Wait to board a train
  • Mother Child cradling baby hugging toddler
  • Migrants Peace sign Austria
  • Danish policeman shakes hands with migrant girl E45 freeway
  • Syrian migrant hugging children Lesbos
  • Syrian woman embraces her child Turkey Lesbos Greece
  • Migrant children bus Roszke Hungary
  • Young woman cries losing her documents Serbia Hungary
  • Syrian girl cries Turkey Geek island Lesbos
  • Greek police officers flashlight Greece Macedonia
  • Syrian refugees walk across field Turkey Greek island Lesbos
  • Father carries his daughter across border Hungary
  • Migrants rest Hungarian border
  • Teenager carries young boy makeshift sling Hungarian border
  • Mother child walk  highway Hungary towards Austria
  • Syrian refugee woman baby Greek island Lesbos
  • Refugees que recieve food Red Cross  Nickelsdorf Austria
  • Migrants and refugees wait to cross the Greek-Macedonian border                                        
Migrants and refugees wait to
  • A woman holds a girl as she passes the border from the northern Greek village of Idomeni
  • Migrant man waiting hopefully
  • Migrants Rain Greece
  • Macedonian police migrants raining
  • Migrants wait border Greece Macedonia
  • Migrant families cross border
  • Man falling mud migrant Greece
  • Migrants elderly man helping
  • Mother child baby Greece
  • Yound boy mud Greece border
  • Mother and child daughter
  • Macedonian police migrant scuffle
  • Migrants border Greece
  • Police man Greece scuffle
  • Crying child Macedonia Greece
  • Migrant woman police Greece
  • Migrant beach sea
  • Migrants border Greece
  • Migrant boy swim Greece
  • Migrants in Greece
  • Migrant man falls mud Greece
  • Macedonian police scuffle migrants
  • The father of Aylan Kurdi, Abdullah Kurdi stands in Aylan's room
  • Abdullah Kurdi, father of Aylan Kurdi its in a relative's house in Kobane
  • The father of Aylan Kurdi, Abdullah Kurdi stands in Aylan's room
  • Abdullah Kurdi stands in front of his neighbour's house in Kobane
  • A woman holds her smiling baby in her arms as she arrives  at the Hauptbahnhof station in Salzburg, Austria
  • Hundreds of migrants walk towards Austrian border after leaving the transit zone of the Budapest main railway station
  • A young migrant child plays with a European Union flag after crossing the Austrian border in Nickelsdorf
  • Newly arrived migrants make their way towards the Greek- FYR Macedonian borders
  • Alvand, 18, from Kobani, Syria takes a selfie with his friends as they walk along a railway track after crossing into Hungary
  • Migrants rise their hands to get some food and water distributed by Caritas
  • Refugees cross the border as they arrive from Hungary to Nickelsdorf, Austria
 

The report said: “What is characteristic of the smuggling networks in Libya is the proliferation of actors, ranging from ordinary Libyan citizens offering their services to migrants, to former militiamen and law enforcement officers. 

“Due to the increasingly profitable business of smuggling migrants by sea, the crossing has become even more risky for the migrants as the networks start to compete with each other.”

Different smuggling gangs appear to control a different section along the highly lucrative route. 

boatGETTY

One region which has blossomed in migrant smuggling operations is Libya

The crossing has become even more risky for the migrants as the networks start to compete with each other

Frontex

The eastern Mediterranean route saw around 870,000 migrants pass along it, according to Frontex figures. 

Similar to the Libyan passage, different smuggling networks controls various departure points. 

The report said: “The criminal networks serving specific hubs in Turkey (Izmir, Bodrum and Istanbul) are very efficiently organised. 

*“They recruit the migrants and organise transportation to the departure points on the coast. 

“The networks also tend to serve specific nationalities (Syrians, Afghans, Pakistanis or Bangladeshis).”

As well as transport the gangs provide forged identity documents, ID cards, residence permits, information on the asylum process in various countries and Syrian passports - which are in high demand.

migrantsGETTY

Frontex estimates the people smuggling industry is worth €4billion a year (£3.4bn)

Syrians make use of social media to plan ahead, and are able to use their knowledge to negotiate prices on the road. 

The report said: “In contrast, Afghans, Pakistanis and Iranians often organise their journeys in their countries of departure, paying smugglers for the whole trip through Greece and then on to their final destination in Europe.

“The route from Turkey to the Greek islands (Lesbos, Samos and Chios) is primarily used by Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi nationals. They depart from their countries through different routes and border crossing points.”

boatsGETTY

Syrians make use of social media to plan ahead, and are able to use their knowledge to negotiate pri

Various boats are used in the often fatal crossings, from rubber dinghies, to fishing boats and even yachts, which can cost a family around €10,000 (£8,656) travelling on the latter. 

But many deaths have occurred at sea when smugglers force countless migrants onto overcrowded and unstable boats, sometimes offering discounts to travel in treacherous weather conditions. 

The rise in the use of social media has allowed smugglers to capitalise on the trade and set up sophisticated networks. 

*Frontex said: “Facebook pages are usually run by middlemen and resemble travel agencies, with photos, information on the price and route as well as useful tips for the journey. 

“They include ratings of trustworthy facilitators, best routes, countries to avoid, as well as a blacklist of smugglers.”

The Facebook pages are often written in Arabic, and disappear as quickly as they appear, making them hard to keep track of. 

Other apps such as WhatsApp and Viber are also used to discuss prices and logistics of the operation. 

 
Received on Sat Oct 01 2016 - 16:59:55 EDT

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