Human trafficking gangs double their prices in Afghanistan
Months after the Taliban regime regained power in Afghanistan, the desire of its citizens to flee is on the rise. Human traffickers have taken advantage of this situation and have doubled and tripled the prices to be paid by those who want to cross the border.
The Taliban's rapid takeover has led to a mass exodus of Afghans forced to flee violence and poverty. Neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Iran have closed their borders, making it difficult to obtain a passport or visa.
As a result, a considerable number of people have been forced to resort to smugglers. Many embark on dangerous journeys through desert and mountainous terrain, or even through tunnels under border walls. Others have opted to use false identities to avoid deportation.
The Centre for Mixed Migration claims that fees have already skyrocketed due to COVID-19. Restrictions on movement and the struggle to leave the country are the main reasons for the price hikes. Human traffickers now charge Afghans between $140 and $190 to reach Pakistan, whereas in 2020 the rate was $90.
Prices vary, in turn, according to the destination, duration and difficulty of the route. The wealth and ethnicity of the person making the journey also affect the rates they are forced to pay. In Iran, smugglers are charging between $360 and $400 when such a journey used to cost $250.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation has highlighted that the prices are much higher than those quoted by the Joint Migration Centre. One woman had to pay $1,000 to travel to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, with her two children. These high prices are compounded by bribes to Pakistani authorities to avoid deportation.
The Norwegian Refugee Council reported last November that some 5,000 Afghan refugees flee to Iran every day. The Taliban regime benefits from these transfers as smugglers pay them about $10 for each pick-up from Zaranj (south-west Afghanistan) to Iran.
Ismail Lali, a 28-year-old Afghan journalist, was forced to flee his country and had to pay a smuggler $700 to take him to Quetta, Pakistan. His friends claim that to make the same journey, he now has to pay $800.
The economic crisis and severe drought in Afghanistan has caused farmers to succumb to desperation and collaborate with smugglers to feed their families. Abdullah Mohammadi, an expert at the Centre for Mixed Migration, argues that "criminal networks are taking advantage because they can use these people to expand their operations".
Shafiqa Sy, an Afghan attorney general, was forced to flee Kabul with her mother and seven siblings. Both Sy and her family are Hazara, a Shi'a minority that was severely persecuted by the Taliban in its last mandate. The prosecutor was herself a strong advocate for women's rights and assisted in the trials of several members of the movement.
A foreign donor paid a smuggler $5,000 for her departure. The Hazara are also persecuted by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, so they avoid traditional routes through Pakistan even though they are less dangerous. The new ones involve climbing and digging tunnels to get under fences and walls.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has urged countries to keep their borders open as some refugees are expected to move to Turkey and Europe from Pakistan and Iran. It also advocates a halt to deportations because of the danger they may face if they return to their country of origin.
To this end, it has earmarked a fund of $623 million for countries to which citizens are fleeing. This situation has made Afghans one of the largest refugee populations in the world. Last year, three million people were internally displaced, more than 65% of them women and children.
