By Bisma Ali
In Pakistan, youth on regular basis are opting for an arduous journey from their native lands to the European countries. Gujrat, a region in the central Punjab, has become a hub of such activities as a large number of individuals belonging to this region are residing abroad who assist their family members, friends and relatives during the trip through illegal means.
The success rate of reaching to the European shores is quite high which provides sustainability to a vicious cycle of smuggling in the country. Resultantly, more and more young individuals are willing to undertake the journey. Apart from land routes, air and marine channels are also being employed for this purpose. Now a days, people who use labor visa to work in middle eastern countries, look for the services of traffickers to reach to the European countries in search of better prospects.
The trend of human smuggling is however undergoing a change such that primary human smugglers are shifting abroad and are using social media as a convenient tool for negotiations, acknowledgements and payments. In addition to it, Pakistan is also facing an enhanced risk of being used as a transit country for human smuggling. The border management requires further strengthening and establishment of a proper system of data storage, its preservation and sharing are some of the daunting challenges for Law Enforcement Agencies.
The localized network of human smugglers has morphed into a system of secondary aides who are usually tasked to convey the messages or share audio or video accounts or receive a token money from the prospective candidates and their families. They have also established their secret places in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), a region abutting Gujrat, where all kinds of negotiations are carried out.
However, the main network of these smugglers exists outside the country where individuals act as nodal points in Turkey, UAE, Egypt, Libya and others regional countries to facilitate in smuggling of humans. They have bought outhouses near Mediterranean Sea where they usually keep large numbers of individuals for months. The youth are dealt harshly and are sometimes subjected to physical torture if their payment is late or they fail to submit the promised amount. During their stay at these places, new acquaintances are made as many of them belong to the central part of Punjab. These contacts become an active conduit for more aspiring candidates to reach Europe and beyond for a better living standard.
The odd incidents of human catastrophe such as one which took place in June, 2023 do not deter them from risking their lives. The human smugglers also record video confessional statements of the individuals in which each and every one takes the blame on himself for the smuggling. The figure suggests that the numbers are as high as 200 – 250 at a single point in time. This makes it a lucrative business involving millions of dollars per annum from Punjab only. Now-a-days Libya has become the favorite route to transport humans across Mediterranean Sea. Once green signal is received from Europe through their local operators, the individuals, huddled in an outhouse, are transported in batches of 70 or 80 through ships or speed boats across the sea.
Recently, the use of social media has been employed extensively in transporting humans from one place to another. The deals are done on social media platforms and videos are sent for confirmation. The sub agents either receive the money locally or illegal means of sending money abroad is used as a token of agreement. Once a person arrives at the outhouse in another country, a portion of the amount is paid to the human smugglers. The rest is transferred once he embarks on a journey through a boat to a European country. The confirmation of receipt is done through social media as well. Hence, digitalization of human smuggling is emerging fast which needs to be tackled on an even keel.
The human smugglers sitting outside the country need to be proceeded against if any meaningful action is to be initiated against this menace in Pakistan. The European countries must recognize the emerging patterns of human smuggling otherwise young aspirants may keep on arriving on European shores through illegal means.
— The writer is a student of O levels and currently studying at Lahore Grammar School. She takes interest in Security & Governance issues
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Lahore Mirror
