1. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Case Studies

2. Outline  Introduction of the migrant groups  Detailing their movements  Introduction of the cases  Comments and discussions

3. Group-1  A group of multi-national people  15 Burmese  7 Syrians  5 Afghans  2 Turks  2 Bangladeshese

4. Pakistan  A chain of smugglers had a visit to an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan, and offered people a secure and a guaranteed travel to London  They asked $7,000 per person.  People were supposed to pay half in the beginning, and the rest would be paid after the delivery  Only 5 Afghans could accept this offer, because they were the ones with richest relatives.  After the payments were made, they started their journey. They left Pakistan  While travelling in a cargo van, the Iranian police stopped them. The driver offered some bribes, and the police accepted. Then they continued to travel…

5. Bangladesh  Two friends, aged 23, decided to go to Europe. They approached a smuggling group member to help them. Smugglers asked $8000 per person to take them to Italy  Friends asked their parents to provide them the money. They would pay this amount back when they make money in Europe. Parents borrowed some $5000 from a loan-sharker. Remaining amount was obtained by exchanging mothers’ jewelleries, the only valuables of these families.  They departed from Bangladesh illegally, passed through Indian and Pakistan land borders. While traveling in Iran they joined in five other illegal immigrants from Afghanistan. Finally they reached Turkish-Iranian border.  Smugglers took over those seven illegal immigrants to another smuggler, a border villager. While walking up the hills in Iran, the smuggler was stopped by a group of armed people. After some talks, he paid $100 per person. They let them go. The smugglers said “They were PKK terrorists”  After entering in Turkey, another smuggler with a truck took them over and after a 24 hour trip, they reached a house in Istanbul where there were another 15 illegal immigrants from Burma, were awaiting.

6. Syria  A family (a father, a mother and 5 kids) had to migrate in Turkey because of the ongoing conflicts in Syria.  They sought asylum in Turkey and were settled in a refugee camp that is located at Syrian-Turkish border. They lived there for about 5 months.  In the meantime, father’s brother living in Denmark as a permanent resident, asked him to leave Turkey because Syrian conflict was getting worse and no need to wait any more. He would help his relatives in Denmark.  Brother told the father, to find Mr. X in Istanbul, a well-known smuggler, and he would help the family to get to Europe.  The father left the camp and traveled to Istanbul with his family, then found the Mr. X.  Mr. X settled them in a distant suburban house in Istanbul where there were a lot of foreign people were waiting.

7. Turkey  Two young Turkish men were talking to each other about the exciting lifestyle in Amsterdam.  They decided to go to Europe. They had relatives who settled in Europe years and years ago. They asked their parents about their wishes. After positive responses from the family, they applied for a visa from the Netherlands Embassy in Istanbul.  It took one month, but the visa decision was negative.  After that they decided to go there in one way or another. They had heard from friends that there were guys who were arranging Europe travels. They found them.  The smugglers asked €5.000 per person to Amsterdam. Young men asked help from relatives in Europe, and they provided the money.  The smugglers told them to get ready since they depart in any time.

8. Turkey, Greece, Albania, …  One night, the smugglers departed from the suburban house in Istanbul with 15 Burmese, 5 Afghan, 7 Syrian, 2 Pakistan, 2 Turkish immigrants. They were hidden in a semi-truck. The smugglers took them to the Greek-Turkish Borders. They passed through the border from the River Evros.  On the Greek side, Greek smugglers took over the group and took them to the Albanian border after a 24 hour trip in a truck.  They were again taken over by another group in Albania and were traveled towards the West. They passed the Albanian borders illegally.  While traveling on the highway of a Western Balkan Country, an accident happened, and the truck overturned.  After that, the driver and his associate escaped. Ten immigrants died. 9 others were injured heavily…

9. Bangladesh Burma

10. CASES  Comment, discuss, and assess the situations SociallyPoliticallyEconomically

11. CASE-1 Group-1  The survivors of the ship accident were taken to a shelter, and then transferred to an immigrant detention center for deportation.  The center is already full of illegal immigrants from Burma, Somalia, Palestine, and Syria.  The immigration department has many difficulties in deportation procedures…  Why do you think so?

12. CASE-2 Group-1  The police went to the traffic accident scene, and helped injured people and transferred them to a hospital.  7 Burmese and 3 Agfhans had treatment in between 2-15 days. After that, they were taken to the immigrant detention center.  The detention center was already overloaded, and therefore, it was difficult to accommodate people, but no other facilities were existed.  It has been 2 months but they continued to stay in the center. Nobody told them what to happen.  Then, illegal immigrants in the detention center started a riot, and put the mattresses in fire. The riot seemed to expand to other detention centers in the country.  You are an important political figure in that area and people expect you to act. What would you do?

13. CASE-3 Group-1  The escapees of the accident were then captured by the police. They were taken to the detention center.  Among them was the Syrian family. The father told their true story and later he sought for asylum with his family.  Their application was received, a 6-month residence permit was issued. They were settled in an apartment.  The number of foreign migrants within the country had already tripled in a couple of years. Some native people started to raise their voices that they are not happy with living together with foreign people.  Why do you think so? Why people don’t like newcomers?

14. CASE-4Group-1  Same radicals started to annoy foreign people. Their children started to bully on foreign students in the schools.  In a case, an immigrant’s home was put fire, and three people died. Police thought that this was conducted by the radicals.  Several demonsrations were held in the country both by immigrants and by those who did not want any more immigrants.  You are the political leader of the ruling party? How would you tackle with this issue?

15. Group-2  A PKK Terrorist  An Iranian family of five

16. N.Iraq  A PKK terrorist was planned to send to Europe. Due to his past criminal history, he was an internationally wanted person, so he could not use legal ways.  The PKK arranged a smuggler who provided fake passports. It costed $15.000 to the organization. The smuggler, first, took him to Jordan by land, and then arranged a complex flight route. Amman-Cairo- Belgrade-Amsterdam.  He departed from Amman to Cairo, and then from Cairo to Belgrade…

17. Iran  An atheistic family (parents and three youngster boys) had to decide to leave Iran since they no longer could survive due to the increased pressure of the Shiite regime.  However, the Iranian government did not provide them passports, so they asked help from people who have connections with the underground world to take them Munich, Germany. Smugglers provided the family with false UK passports.  The passports would be used to depart from Baku, Azerbaijan. So, the smugglers helped the family to illegally cross the Iranian-Azeri border. Finally and successfully they reached the Baku Airport.  Smugglers provided the family an indirect flight itinerary (Baku- Belgrade-London).  The family paid $12.000 per person. They departed from Baku with their false UK Passports.

19. CASE-1 Group-2  The Iranian family arrived in Belgrade airport. During the passport control, the police noticed the passports are falsified.  The family was taken to a detention center in the airport for further investigation.  They did not cooperate in providing information about smugglers.  Then they sought for asylum.  What should the Police do in that situation? What would you do if you were in that position? Why to accept asylum-seekers?

20. CASE-2 Group-2  When the PKK member arrived in Belgrade as a transit passenger, the police suspected for the complexity of his flight itinerary.  After a short examination, the passport police detected the fake passport.  A thorough investigation showed that the person was a wanted by Interpol with red notice, and then the police arrested him. But the PKK member sought for asylum  What about this situation? Seeking asylum is a fundamental human right, but what about a terrorist as an asylum seeker?

21. Group-3  A group of multi-national people  10 Libyans  12 Tunisians  4 Somalians  2 Niger citizens

22. Somalia  A young woman, in her mid-20’s escaped from her home. Then she went to a shipping company in Mogadishu to ask for help to travel to Europe. One of her friends had illegally traveled to Italy in a commercial ship. They asked $2500 to travel but did not bear any responsibility if she is captured. She accepted this offer.  The ship departed Mogadishu port towards the Port of Tripoli in Libya. Another three men were also traveling with her. They had paid the same amount. All of them were forced to wait in a closed storage. It took 3 days.  When the ship arrived in Triploi, they were taken with a small boat to the land in the midnight. After landing, they were taken by a man to a warehouse where there were people from different countries were waiting.

23. Libya  A smuggling network of Northern Africa received 14 immigrants from their networks in North African countries. Ten Libyans were also added to the group.  Four Somalians (including one young woman) lately joined in the group.  The smugglers arranged a mid-scale shipping boat for their travel to Lampedusa, Italy. They embarked people in the very early morning and departed…

24. Libya, Italy, Greece, W. Balkans…  On the international water, they come across joint Frontex patrols. They were returned.  After sailing back in Libyan waters, the captain decided to change the route towards the Greek shores.  It took two days to reach there, but the weather got worse, and the captain lost the control. After a dangerous three-four hours, the boat crashed in shore rocks very close to a place in W. Balkans.  Nine immigrants and three smugglers were dead by being drowned, while others were rescued..

26. CASE-1 Group-3  The ship accident had a great public interest. The media broadcasted videos of the accident and injured people.  Social service facilities were insufficient., and therefore, local government officials could only provided food and health assistance.  The media was so harsh on government. People started to claim that the government did not provide adequtae humanitarian assistance, and disregarded the immigrants’ rights.  Many foreign resident and human rights activists within the country organized demonstrations against the government.  You are a MP of the ruling party and the Chairman of your party asked you to cope with this problem.  What would you do with the immigrant community?

27. CASE-2 Group-3  One of the survivors of the ship accident was that Somalian girl. After she was saved, she decided to escape.  She hithchiked on the way, an old taxi driver took her. The driver brought her to his home. In the morning, a man came to the house and had a look at her, paid some money to the driver.  Then she was forcibly taken to another house where there were other girls from Ukraine and Belarus. It was like a brothel.  She was very frightened. The man said to her “I paid $5000 for you. You will work for me.” She would work as a prostitute!  How would you comment? Is it the girl’s mistake?

28. CASE-3Group-3  In a police investigation, a trafficking chain was disclosed and traffickers were captured.  Five young women including the Somalian girl were saved.  During the investigation, police figured out that the City Mayor and the police chief, very well known by his association with your party, had direct connection with the traffickers, and made huge profits. But the information was not publicly announced yet.  You are the Minister of Interior and General Director of Police visited you to ask on what to do.  This situation will appaerantly harm the public perception on your party’s integrity. What would you do? How would you react?

29. CASE-4Group-3  The number of trafficking cases are alarming in your country. Police and judiciary have legal powers but demand for cheap labor as well as the demand for sex industry is at high levels.  You decided to raise this issue in the Parliament for the fight against these crimes. However, you don’t find much support from your party leaders as well as the members. But you are committed.  You would like to start a social movement as a responsible political figure in the fight against trafficking in human beings.  How would you start this movement? How would you use social and political powers? What kind of obstacles may you face?

30. Thank you! Oguzhan Omer Demir oodemir@egm.gov.tr www.utsam.org