Unveiling the Elaborate Exploitation: Routes of Syrian Crisis Victims in Pursuit of Europe

The sophistication in exploiting the victims of the Syrian crisis since 2011 has found new ways. Those who dream of reaching Europe have tested various modes of transportation, including air, land, and sea routes, across three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. This illegal journey is facilitated by criminal organizations, costing individuals around 20,000 euros each. The initiation of this unlawful migration often begins from Lebanese territory.

Illegal migrants of Syrian nationality set off from Lebanon, passing through Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport to Egypt for around 4,000 euros. From there, Syrians travel by land from Egypt to Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria, costing approximately 3,500 euros.

The most crucial step occurs from the Algerian cities of Oran and Mostaganem, where migrant boats are arranged to transport them illegally to the Spanish coast for around 10,000 euros.

Once in Spain, migrants travel by car to Madrid, Valencia, and Toledo, where they remain hidden in dismal conditions, paying 250 euros per week until they obtain the necessary documents. With these documents, they can either stay in Spain or travel to Germany or Norway for a fee of 1,000 to 2,000 euros.

These details emerged as the Spanish police dismantled the logistical structure of a criminal organization specializing in smuggling Syrian migrants. This was done in cooperation with Europol and the German federal police. This organization, which saw the arrest of 19 members, collaborated with criminal groups in other countries, receiving financial transactions from them.

This smuggling route is not the only one that exploits the crises of Syrians and victims of other circumstances. From Libya, Syrians embarked with migrants from the African continent on boats to reach Italy.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, the most active human trafficking routes have been from Turkey to Greece, mainly through the Aegean Sea, which has witnessed numerous tragedies involving children, women, and men.

From Lebanon, there was a route for Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese refugees from Beirut Airport to Belarus as a gateway to Europe. Borders with Poland witnessed several tragedies.

In recent years, Lebanon has experienced an increase in the smuggling of Syrians, Lebanese, and Palestinians from its shores to Italy for around 6,000 dollars. These migrants have been subjected to dangerous exploitation, leading to incidents such as boats breaking down, resulting in many deaths, or their detention upon arrival in other destinations after being rescued.

This year, smuggling has intensified along the Lebanon-Cyprus route, especially for Syrian refugees.