Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

Although the apprehension statistics do not differentiate between
different types of irregular migrants, it is possible to create an informed estimate
on the volume of transit migration and the use of human smugglers by analysing
the breakdown of data on the countries of origin. Between 2000 and 2010, the
top five migrant originating countries were as follows: Iraq (94,000); Pakistan
(66,000); Afghanistan (59,000); Islamic Republic of Iran (22,000); and Bangladesh
(17,000) (İçduygu and Aksel, 2015). 34 Some of these irregular migrants used
migrant smugglers either for entry into Turkey, exit from Turkey or both. In 2015
alone, a growing number of irregular transit migrants with diverse backgrounds
from different countries of origin were apprehended. Out of the 146,485 irregular
migrants, nationals from the Syrian Arab Republic topped the charts with 73,422
individuals, followed by those from Afghanistan (35,921); Iraq (7,247); Myanmar
(5,464); Pakistan (3,792); Georgia (2,857); Islamic Republic of Iran (1,978); Eritrea
(1,445), Uzbekistan (1,393); and Turkmenistan (1,241). According to the reports
by the Turkish National Police events, the Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan,
Myanmar, Pakistan, Eritrea and Iraq were the highest reported nationalities
of those apprehended during counter-smuggling operations in 2014 (ICMPD,
2015). The number of migrant smugglers apprehended between 2010 and 2015
were approximately 12,000. Those apprehended in 2015 comprised one third of
all apprehended migrant smugglers since 2010. 35
Figures on irregular migration further indicate that over the last years
nearly four fifths of irregular migrants were caught near the borders of Greece
and Bulgaria, while the remaining one fifth at the long eastern borders between
Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran. 36 It is possible to observe that similar
trends still continue with higher number of Syrian and Iraqi nationals getting
apprehended along the western land and sea borders (İçduygu and Aksel,
2015). Over the last two years, the land and sea borders between Greece and
Turkey gradually transformed into one of the most active irregular migration
and smuggling corridors in Europe. In the Aegean Sea alone, it is estimated that
1 million migrants left Turkey for Greek shores, and more than 3,771 migrants,
34
Some Pakistani nationals enter as irregular migrant workers whose aim is to transit through Turkey to reach
other European countries. Afghani nationals consist a group with mixed motivations entering Turkey either
directly from Afghanistan or from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Some of them apply for asylum, whereas
some with more resources choose to leave immediately. Both are mainly male-dominated flows, but some
travel with other immediate family members.
35
DGMM (n.d.).
36
One of the primary reasons for this situation is the stricter surveillance on Turkey’s western borders, in
comparison to its eastern and south-eastern borders.
142
6. Turkey