Migrants from Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere, stuck in Greece, are turning to a barely disguised smuggling market for passage to other European countries. With borders to FYROM, Albania and Bulgaria closed, human traffickers promise new routes and new ways to take the desperate refugees and migrants all way to Germany or Austria. Per car, on foot, per truck and ferry or even per airplane.
According to a revealing research conducted by Wall Street Journal around Victoria Square in Athens, the money refugees and migrants are asked to pay to human traffickers to see their dream come true vary between 1,000 and 14,000 euro, depending first of all on destination and the way of escaping Greece. The smuggling prices depend on destination, physical discomfort, risk of failure, the middleman’s cut, overhead costs such as a forged passport, the migrant’s nationality and haggling skill.
The Price of Escape
Amounts charged by human smugglers in Athens
- Truck and ship to Italy: €1,000 to €1,200
- Foot and car to Germany or Switzerland, via Balkans: €1,500 to €2,000
- Foot and car to Norway or Sweden, via Balkans: about €2,500
- Truck to Germany, via Balkans: about €2,500
- Plane to Germany, Norway or Sweden: €3,500 to €5,000
- Plane to Canada: about €14,000
According to WSJ, there are at least 15 smugglers’ networks operating in Athens.
Read the very revealing full report here.
PS I assume, Greek authorities have read this report too…
