Endless tragedy | Gangs in areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxies target Syrians searching for safe haven away from homeland
Immigration of Syrian people to Europe are on a rise, where they search for a safe haven away from their homeland, despite the considerable risks, especially through unsafe trips by land and by sea, where many have died and others were kidnapped by armed gangs.
In north east Syria region, civilians who search for safe haven are smuggled into Turkey via extremely risky roads after paying for smuggling rings in border areas controlled by Turkish forces and their proxy factions, especially in “Euphrates Shield” and “Peace Spring” areas. Such smuggling operations are supervised by factions of the “National Army” in direct cooperation with smugglers who, on many occasions, turned to arrest, kidnap and torture those civilians in order to collect ransoms from their families.
Speaking to SOHR, a civilian known by his initials as R. Z. from Al-Hasakah city said, “I reached a deal with a smuggler in Ras Al-Ain city (Sere Kaniye) who secured a road for me to Turkey in return for 7,000 USD. I was among a group of other young men from different Syrian areas, and we took risky roads to “Peace Spring” area. When we approached “Peace Spring” area, an armed group in a military vehicle blocked us and humiliated and beaten us brutally, before we were arrested by the same group. We endured brutal torture by those gunmen who communicated with our families and threatened to kill us, unless they took ransoms of 500 USD every person. We were released later after paying the ransoms. Despite all risks, immigration continues due to the dreadful living conditions in Syria, while no workable solutions loom on the horizon still, so Syrian people, especially young men are attempting to enjoy decent standards of living away from Syria.”
A civilian from Al-Hasakah city known as H. Z. told SOHR “I agreed with a smuggler to help me to cross from areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration to “Euphrates Shield” area through an official crossing after coordination with the Turkish officials responsible for the crossing, as the smuggler help people to cross through this crossing for sums of money that reaches 6,000 USD a person in order to continue their way to Turkish territory and then to Germany. The trip to Turkey costs 21,000 USD. The smuggling ring exploits the dreadful living conditions of Syrians to collect those large sums of money.”
In a testimony to SOHR, a displaced man from Afrin known as A. A. said, “after occupation of Afrin canton, I moved to Al-Hasakah city. I later headed to Azaz city with the help of smugglers, where a man known as ‘Abu Saddam,’ working for a Turkish-backed faction and supervising smuggling operations of people and antiquities to Turkey, hosted me in his house. I was among a group of people, including women, and we went out at night, heading to Turkey. When we got closer to the border line between Turkey and Syria, Turkish border guards opened fire on us. As we were running away, ‘Abu Saddam’ handed me over to members of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah,” who tortured me brutally and communicated with my family and asked them to pay a ransom in return for my release. After my family paid a ransom of 600 USD, the members of “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” confiscated my mobile phones and dumped me naked near a village in Manbij city in eastern Aleppo.”