ISTANBUL: The arrival on Italian shores of two crewless ships filled with more than 1,000 refugees – mostly Syrians has put the spotlight on Turkey’s role in people smuggling. With at least one of the ships believed to have used Turkey as a base for picking up their human cargo, the EU has demanded action by Ankara.
At the back of a café in the run down Dolapdere district of Istanbul, home to many migrants seeking to get to Europe, sits a “connection man.” In the jargon of human smuggling, this person brings together migrants and smugglers.
Michael, who did not want to give his real name, is from West Africa. He said he came to Istanbul like many migrants from Africa with the idea of getting to Europe. Instead he found he could make a good living staying put. Michael said Istanbul is one of the main hubs for organizing human smuggling by boat.
“Usually it’s one voyage per three months,” he said. “By ship, by boat, this number can be up to 600 people. It’s a big business. There is a lot of money, so that’s why there are new people now involved in this way. To my knowledge I have almost 10 or 12 contacts doing this business.”
