What would make you flee to Iran?
Sunday, July 10th, 2011Exactly, desperation. And that’s precisely why there are one million refugees there. They have escaped war torn Afghanistan and Iraq for the relative safety of Iran.
That refugees are not a threat, but are people who are threatened is frequently forgotten because of constant headlines about criminal immigrants.
Contrary to popular belief the majority of refugees are not in the West, according to UNHCR‘s 2010 Global Trends report. A staggering 80% have taken refuge in developing countries. Notably in Pakistan, Iran and Syria that account for 1.9 million, 1.1 million and 1 million respectively.
In Europe, you wrongly get the impression that the majority of refugees are here. But they are economic migrants, which is very different. Their arrival in Europe is often facilitated by human traffickers aiming to profit from the transport of migrants and also their criminal exploitation upon arrival in the EU.
How many refugees can pay people smugglers $10,000 to get to Europe?
From what I understand it costs $10,000 per person to be smuggled from Iraq or Afghanistan to Europe. Only a handful of refugees are able to pay such prices. And many people smugglers recruit their clients on the internet. How many refugees in the camps are surfing the net?
From what I understand it costs $10,000 per person to be smuggled from Iraq or Afghanistan to Europe. Only a handful of refugees are able to pay such prices. And many people smugglers recruit their clients on the internet. How many refugees in the camps are surfing the net?
Instead it’s economic migrants who get into debt with criminal gangs thinking they will earn a fortune in Europe, which of course they don’t. To pay off their debts they hence end up, willingly or not, working for criminal gangs in all kinds of illegal activities. Anything from begging and benefit fraud to murder.
Criminals giving refugees a bad name
Europe has for a long time been happy to give refugees a new life here. But due to the problems of criminal activity by a section of economic migrants, more and more Europeans are turning against immigration. So much so that anti immigrant parties have been elected to parliament in many EU countries. That even immigrants who have been here a long time vote for such parties says a lot about how criminal gangs are exploiting the open borders in Europe.
Europe has for a long time been happy to give refugees a new life here. But due to the problems of criminal activity by a section of economic migrants, more and more Europeans are turning against immigration. So much so that anti immigrant parties have been elected to parliament in many EU countries. That even immigrants who have been here a long time vote for such parties says a lot about how criminal gangs are exploiting the open borders in Europe.
Genuine refugees are not a threat
That refugees are not a threat, but are people who are themselves threatened is forgotten because of constant headlines about what criminal immigrants are up to.
That refugees are not a threat, but are people who are themselves threatened is forgotten because of constant headlines about what criminal immigrants are up to.
Handle asylum applications swiftly
Asylum-seekers judged through proper procedures not to be refugees, nor to be in need of any other form of international protection, can be sent back to their home countries. So speeding up such procedures would ironically be a way of helping real refugees desparately in need of asylum.
Asylum-seekers judged through proper procedures not to be refugees, nor to be in need of any other form of international protection, can be sent back to their home countries. So speeding up such procedures would ironically be a way of helping real refugees desparately in need of asylum.
Deport criminals
Some Europeans deport immigrants convicted of a crime and some don’t. In order to help the millions of refugees that genuinely need asylum, isn’t it time for all EU countries to start deporting such criminals? In Northern Europe they don’t care if they end up in jail since the sentences are low and mild and they even get a TV in their cell. Very different from prison back home.
Some Europeans deport immigrants convicted of a crime and some don’t. In order to help the millions of refugees that genuinely need asylum, isn’t it time for all EU countries to start deporting such criminals? In Northern Europe they don’t care if they end up in jail since the sentences are low and mild and they even get a TV in their cell. Very different from prison back home.
Who are the people smugglers?
According to Europol, the most widely reported organised crime groups involved in the facilitation of illegal immigration are of Chinese, Turkish, Albanian, Indian, Iraqi, Roma and Russian origin. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Pakistani, and some West African groups are said to be among the most capable, managing all successive phases of illegal immigration from source to destination countries. That’s not to say that some ethnic Europeans are not involved, but mainly the gangs are of the same ethnic groups as the refugees that are suffering as a result of their activities.
According to Europol, the most widely reported organised crime groups involved in the facilitation of illegal immigration are of Chinese, Turkish, Albanian, Indian, Iraqi, Roma and Russian origin. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Pakistani, and some West African groups are said to be among the most capable, managing all successive phases of illegal immigration from source to destination countries. That’s not to say that some ethnic Europeans are not involved, but mainly the gangs are of the same ethnic groups as the refugees that are suffering as a result of their activities.
Flying in their victims
Some EU countries have already started to have border controls on land and they are working. So according to Europol,organised air smuggling is an emerging trend.
Some EU countries have already started to have border controls on land and they are working. So according to Europol,organised air smuggling is an emerging trend.
Criminal groups issue flight tickets to illegal immigrants who make asylum requests upon arrival, or attempt to pass through security checks with counterfeit or forged documents, or genuine documents issued to ‘lookalikes’.
An Iraqi criminal group in Sweden was for instance identified as the owner of an airline that facilitated its people smuggling activities.
How about putting economic migration on hold?
With Europe struggling with the Euro crisis and recession, maybe it would be a good idea to temporarily only allow economic migration for people who already have secured a job? That would be a huge blow to people smugglers and make Europe accept more genuine refugees.
With Europe struggling with the Euro crisis and recession, maybe it would be a good idea to temporarily only allow economic migration for people who already have secured a job? That would be a huge blow to people smugglers and make Europe accept more genuine refugees.
Exploiting Europe’s generosity
Frequently criminal immigrants, resident in the EU, facilitate the last step of the migrants’ journey, in some cases collecting final instalments of transportation fees, and are in an ideal position to profit from newly arrived migrants.
Frequently criminal immigrants, resident in the EU, facilitate the last step of the migrants’ journey, in some cases collecting final instalments of transportation fees, and are in an ideal position to profit from newly arrived migrants.
It’s really terrible that criminals are poisoning Westerners against refugees when we should instead reach out a helping hand and welcome them here. But due to the problems caused by people smugglers and their gangs, Europe is reluctant to take more refugees. What do you think can be done to stop those criminals? Let’s face it, they are ruining the lives of genuine refugees who need and should be given asylum in the West. Or maybe you believe having open borders is more important than giving refugees a safe heaven? Should we just leave genuine refugees to rot in camps so that economic migrants can be exploited by criminal gangs?
Photo: Al Jazeera English – Flickr
Photo: Al Jazeera English – Flickr
