In the previous year, 687 smugglers in Austria were identified, reported and most of them arrested. More than 300 of them in Burgenland alone, the main route of human trafficking, runs through Hungary to Austria. The “boom” in the tractor business was mainly caused by the war in Ukraine.
After the record year 2015, the number of people smugglers caught has risen sharply since 2016. While there were 249 arrests in 2016, there were 311 in 2020 and 441 people smugglers were arrested in 2021, the federal criminal investigation department reported on Wednesday.
Perpetrators from Syria, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine
Most smugglers came from Syria (99), Turkey (69), Romania (52) and Ukraine (52). “There are many young men among the Ukrainians, and many are used as drivers,” explains Gerhard Tatzgern, head of anti-smuggling operations at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department. “Some have sensed the business,” said the expert. People of all nationalities were dragged along by Ukrainians. Among the arrested smugglers are 32 Austrian citizens.
“The decisive factor in the fight against the smuggling mafia is close and above all cross-border cooperation. The deployment of Austrian police officers in Hungary, Serbia or North Macedonia is an important sign of active international cooperation,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) said in an APA statement.
“It’s never been easier to come to Europe”
In a five-year comparison, a high number of arrests of people smugglers was achieved in 2022. In 2015, however, there were significantly more: a total of 1,108 traffickers were arrested. In 2022, smugglers took advantage of the war in Ukraine by explaining to their potential victims that it had never been easier to get to Europe because there were no more controls. “The high number of arrests of smugglers is due on the one hand to the intensive controls at the Burgenland-Hungarian border and on the other hand to the intensive cooperation with the criminal police units of the Western Balkans,” said Karner. There is also a very close cooperation with Turkey, so that “tugboat activities there are disrupted”, Tatzgern explains.
Most come via the Western Balkan route
The most relevant route for Austria in 2022 remains the Eastern Mediterranean route, in particular the Western Balkan route, which leads to Austria via Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania and Hungary. More than 100,000 people who entered Austria illegally will be arrested in Austria in 2022, the exact number will only be announced. Afghanistan and Syria are the top countries.
Smuggling is now one of organized crime’s largest and most lucrative ‘business models’. The international smuggling mafia has developed a large field of activity, mainly due to the visa-free entry of Indians and Tunisians into Serbia, with people being smuggled from Serbia to Western European countries, Karner said. Visa-free entry to Serbia for Tunisians ended in November, effective January 1 for Indians.
‘Number will decrease sharply’
As a result, the smuggling mafia was massively restricted in an important part of their “business base”, the interior minister stated. Tatzgern added: “The word spread very quickly” that the number of Indians and Tunisians would “be sharply reduced”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
