Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

distinguish in their data between smuggled and other irregular migrants, nor
do they inform whether apprehensions are made at the borders or inside the
country.
There has never been an established tradition of collecting data on
migrant smuggling in Turkey, and irregular migration figures were made partially
accessible to public in Turkey. However, the collection and dissemination of data
on this issue have become even more problematic in the recent years. Although
a more systematic collection of apprehended irregular migrants and migrant
smugglers were made in Turkey between 1995 and 2010, reaching accurate
data to make an informed and comparative analysis for scientific research has
become more difficult. It is observed that ever since the outbreak of the Syrian
refugee crisis in 2011, it has become more difficult for government agencies to
keep a reliable and up-to-date data partly due to security concerns and partly
due to the inflow of great number of refugees especially from the Syrian Arab
Republic and Afghanistan. Therefore, it would not be wrong to suggest that
figures available on apprehended cases of irregular migrants and migrant
smugglers may not represent the entirety of the overall flows and intensity of
the situation. 43 Moreover, there might be some overlapping or multiple entries
of nationalities. Dissemination of data is only at the national level, even though
it is collected at the provincial level, making comparisons between provinces
impossible.
The most recent establishment of the Department of Human Smuggling
and Trafficking in Persons by the Turkish National Police proves that there is a
political will to tackle with the issue more seriously at the national level. Another
welcoming recent development is the decision to improve migration-related
data, including migrant smuggling in and out of Turkey via Turkish Statistical
Institute and DGMM.
In addition to government agencies of Turkey, various international
organizations have been active in collecting and compiling data on irregular
migration, trafficking and human smuggling. The European Union harmonization
process and IOM’s efforts in obtaining data through close collaboration with
government officials and NGOs working in migration issues paved the way for
access to basic data on migrant smuggling. Other agencies that are also active
on similar issues, such as Frontex and ICMPD – a Vienna-based international
research centre – are good sources for collecting data on irregular migration and
human smuggling.
43
Several studies in the past, such as those published by the Turkish Academy of Science (İçduygu and Toktaş,
2005) and the Turkish Statistical Institute (Sirkeci, 2009), discussed the unavailability of reliable migration
data in Turkey.
Migrant Smuggling Data and Research:
A global review of the emerging evidence base
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