Tractor trucks full of Turks and Syrians who fled the earthquake in their own country are currently driving from Hungary across the border to Austria. The current hotspot is the Neckenmarkt border crossing in Burgenland.
Six refugees within 24 hours – in Burgenland there have been fewer arrests for months than last Monday. After that, the number of migrants crossing the border from Hungary to Austria again increased significantly: 37 refugees on Tuesday, 69 on Wednesday, Thursday 27, Friday 55.
93 were counted over the weekend. This year, 4,600 migrants were stopped at the Burgenland-Hungarian border and police detained 40 people smugglers. One year ago today the balance was: 5,600 registered refugees, 50 people smugglers caught!
Methods of the smugglers’ mafia are becoming increasingly brutal
Researchers attribute the drop in seizures in 2023 to the intensified fight against organized human smuggling in Europe. “In Serbia, the smuggling mafia’s methods became more and more brutal. The police acted against it with full force,” explains a detective. Highly active gangs of criminals endured severe setbacks. It may take some time before the positions of the arrested accomplices and drivers can be filled.
Paid 22,000 euros to smugglers
However, Turkey remains the center of the refugee flow. Not only migrants from North Africa are on their way to the West via Istanbul. Also from the earthquake area in the border region to Syria, more and more victims are traveling to Europe with the help of smugglers. A perpetrator collected 22,000 euros from a Kurdish family of four for flights.
The seizures at boundary stone B41 in Neckenmarkt do not stop. A Ukrainian smuggler had a Syrian, three Turks and five Turkish women in a Mitsubishi car. The illegal journey was stopped. The suspect spends his 57th birthday in a cell.
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.
