Asia Times: Go somewhere else, young man


	September 12, 2001	atimes.com

India/Pakistan

Go somewhere else, young man
By Nadeem Yaqub

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - "Jawad" probably thought the worst was over when he finally set foot on the tiny Indonesian island of Botham along with 25 other men.

After all, the island was already thousands of kilometers away from Pakistan - and so near Australia, his final destination. But the 23-year-old's dreams of a better life in a new country were shattered just when he was about to fly out of Botham for another island even nearer Australia.

Apparently, four of his co-travelers from Iran were discovered without proper papers. Their whole group was ordered to disembark from the plane and then arrested. A week later, Jawad was back in Pakistan.

That was just four months ago. These days, Jawad spends his days in his hometown, Parachinar City, near the Pakistani-Afghan border, pondering what he should have done differently. He says he could have made it to Australia if only he had known English and had a bit more confidence.

Jawad, who is jobless, is bound to try again, even as his family thanks heaven that at least he did not just disappear or die like so many other young Pakistani - and Afghan - men attempting to enter other countries illegally. Indeed, despite growing reports of such misfortunes befalling these would-be illegal migrants, human smuggling is flourishing in Pakistan, especially near the Pakistani-Afghan border.

One "agent" here in Peshawar even claims that the entire network operates with the connivance of government agencies. The agent argues that that is the only explanation why many people are able to fly out of Pakistan without any travel documents. "This mode of traveling abroad is only possible with the help of government agencies," he says. "Since huge amounts of money are involved, corruption among these agencies is a common practice."

Another agent gives more specifics about these "huge amounts". He says that the highest rate is for the United States, Canada and England, which could cost the "traveler" between US$16,000 and $20,000. The going price for mainland Europe is approximately $12,000. Jawad himself says his family put down the equivalent of about $4,000 to go to Australia, the top choice among illegal migrants from Pakistan because of the existence of a good human smuggling network for that route. His family, Jawad says, got a refund because he did not make it.

The agent boasts, "I can send people to any part of the world, with or without documents, as long as they are willing to pay." And pay many people will, so long as they are able to leave their impoverished hometowns and bleak futures. They are in such a hurry to leave that they cannot wait to put together proper documents and try for a legitimate visa.

Jawad says: "I know lots of friends and relatives who have gone to Australia to begin a new life. So I decided to try my luck as well." Agents here say there are "hundreds" leaving Pakistan illegally each month, many of them from the northern tribal areas. But many of these are Afghans who cross the border in order to make contact with the agents here.

Many Afghans leave for Saudi Arabia on the pretext of performing Umra, a religious pilgrimage for Muslims. Interestingly enough, many Pakistanis also often pass themselves off as Afghans once they reach foreign shores in an attempt to seek asylum as human rights abuse victims. "Sadiq", for instance, managed to take refuge in Belgium only when a friend of his from Peshawar got a fake Afghan identity card made for him.

One agent, though, explains how other Pakistanis are able to pose as Afghans: "The majority of people in Parachinar for example are originally from Hazarajat in Afghanistan, so they look like them and speak Dari [Persian]." Other agents also say that this "Afghan posing" is the real reason why many Pakistanis "disappear" abroad. They say that these people avoid contacting their families especially in the early months of their journey because of their fear that they will be discovered to be non-Afghans.

Akhtar Hussain, who runs a general store in Parachinar, would like to believe this is why he has yet to hear from his younger brother Jameel, who left more than three months ago for Australia. He says he simply doesn't know where Jameel is now. "He might have reached Australia and is perhaps lodged in a refugee center from where he cannot phone," the older brother guesses. But Hussain knows anything can happen en route, especially when one is travelling illegally through many countries.

As it is, no illegal migrant from Pakistan gets to go straight to his country of choice but must pass through several borders. Among the most popular midpoint destinations are Moscow, Dubai and Bangkok, says an agent, as are countries like Malaysia, Iran, Turkey and China. What happens while the "travelers" are in these countries is anyone's guess. Akhtar Hussain says that at least he knows that when his brother last contacted the family, Jameel was in Malaysia and was doing fine.

Jawad, meanwhile, tries to sketch out his botched journey, which was actually the first time he ever made a trip out of Pakistan. First, he says, he and four other acquaintances flew to Kuala Lumpur on valid visas and stayed in a hotel there for over a fortnight. On Day 15, in the small hours of the morning, their group made its way out of the city, boarded a ship along with 25 other men from Iran and Afghanistan, and set sail for a two-and-a-half-day journey to Botham.

They would spend 25 more days there before their group was told that they would be taking a plane for the next leg. Jawad was already on that plane and raring to go. He would have been in Australia by now instead of moping in a tea shop in Parachinar if only Indonesian authorities had not finally found them out.

(Inter Press Service)