Current_Trends_and_Related_Challenges_web

Current Trends and Challenges
Figure 4. Destination countries in Asia, North America and Oceania for the smuggling of migrants
from South-West Asia
a
Iraq
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan
Islamic
Republic
of Iran
Gulf region
Saudi Arabia
United Arab
Emirates
Afghanistan
Pakistan
India
China
North America
Indonesia
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Islamic Republic of Iran
Iraq
Australia
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
The map is an elaboration of UNODC based on selected sources.
such countries as Germany, Greece or Italy. 169
Sham marriages have been used by Pakistani
nationals to gain entry into Sweden and thus
residence in the European Union. According to
Swedish authorities, Sweden is targeted for such
marriages because they can be registered more
quickly than in other EU countries. 170
2.4.6 Smuggling to and through South-East Asia
and Oceania
Since the early 2000s, countries in South-East
Asia and Oceania, Australia in particular, have
become destinations for smuggled migrants from
Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq and
Pakistan.
Smuggling on this route usually begins in Pakistan.
In the absence of direct flights from Afghanistan
to South-East Asia, most Afghan migrants must
first travel to Pakistan for onward smuggling
by air. Many Afghan migrants, however, live in
Pakistan or the Islamic Republic of Iran for many
years before they travel to South-East Asia. 171 In
Pakistan, the airports in Islamabad, Lahore and
Karachi operate direct flights to destinations in
South-East Asia, although many migrants are also
smuggled to South-East Asia on flights via airports
in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab
Emirates. 172 Migrants from the Islamic Republic of
Iran similarly fly to the United Arab Emirates and
on to South-East Asia. Some Iranian migrants have
been smuggled from Syria, where they may have
lived for many years before being forced to flee
because of the deteriorating security situation. 173
Some Pakistani migrants are smuggled to South-
East Asia through South Asia. For example, some
irregular migrants cross from Pakistan into India. 174
They then continue to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh
before traveling to destinations in South-East Asia.
There are isolated reports of Afghan nationals
being smuggled to Australia via Sri Lanka. 175
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