Migrant Smuggling Data and Research

4 April 2016 in line with the bilateral readmission agreement between Greece
and Turkey. 47 In return for every Syrian being returned to Turkey from the Greek
islands, another Syrian will be resettled to the European Union. While these are
welcoming developments to curb migrant smuggling networks and put an end
to migrants losing their lives while crossing the seas, there is a grave danger in
limiting the genuine asylum seekers’ access to their right to seek refuge and
protection in the European Union regardless of their nationality of origin.
Turkey’s position as a transit and destination country for immigrants and
asylum seekers who are in search for better economic and social conditions
became ever more apparent than before. Yet, detailed and scientific reports
focusing on human smuggling networks, the role of migrant networks, and
methods used have so far been very limited. Managing migration requires better
understanding of the complex dynamics between irregular migration, human
smuggling and trafficking. The time is ripe with ground-breaking, interdisciplinary
research, which can promise to bring together all these complexities with
innovative research approaches. 48 Previous research and fieldwork carried out
in Turkey suggest that there is a pressing need for more comprehensive research
for filling the gap on critical information about changing regional dynamics that
eventually alter the processes of migrant smuggling in the Middle East and
beyond. It is also important to deconstruct human smuggling in the region by
documenting the following: (a) historical comparative perspectives with regard
to countries of origin, transit and destination; (b) profiles of migrant smugglers
and categories of smuggled migrants; (c) gender-specific problems faced by
migrants in the smuggling process; (d) different payment methods, such as
the frequent use of so-called hawala system; (e) methods of recruitment and
often complicated smuggler–migrant relationship; (f) migrant-initiated smallscale
smuggling operatives. Such research providing specific quantitative and
qualitative data on migrant smuggling would make it possible to establish more
reliable statistics to see the overall picture that is necessary on how these
smuggling networks operate. The lack of reliable information and data hinder the
active engagement of policymakers and civil society in finding lasting solutions
to this age-old problem affecting millions and causing deaths of many people on
their so-called journey of hope.
47
For details of the European Union–Turkey agreement, see http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-
963_en.htm
48
See for example, Siegel and McGregor’s research on the role of social media among irregular Afghan migrants
to facilitate their migration project to the Netherlands.
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6. Turkey