How the South Asian Citizens fall into the trap of human trafficking in Cyprus?
By Mohammad Mahafujul Haque Chowdhury, Nicosia, Cyprus
Cyprus is an island state situated on the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Geographically this country lies in Asia; culturally it‘s much more connected with the Europe. Every year around five to ten thousand people come to Cyprus from South Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. Primarily they enter here as students but many of them aim at entering any Schengen States. Although it may not sound appealing to have heard of; now-a-days it’s quite harder to find anyone from these countries who truly move here for fulfiling their higher education. Due to certain circumstances it has become quite difficult for the people who bear Bangladeshi or Pakistani passports to get an entrance here with legal visas. As a result almost 90% of the students who have come here from South Asian countries in the recent years are predominantly either Sri Lankans or Indians or Nepalese.
As soon as they stepped their footprints into Cyprus; they intend to migrate to a Schengen state. Maximum they spend one or two years here once they have reached here. Mostly they try to get themselves married with a girl from Eastern European countries like Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania. Although this marriage is not real at all. One has to pay certain amount of money and this so called married is confined to pen and paper only. Many of them try to go to the United Kingdom. Firstly they apply for a tourist visa for travelling to Great Britain. As soon as they reach there; they try to intrude into the France in an illegitimate way. There are also several other ways to get themselves entered into the Schengen States. Many of them can become succeeded while a lot of them are trapped by some brokers that result them losing all sorts of means which belong to them.
At present many of them who come here particularly from the South Asian countries are being misguided by a large group of mafia and brokers which is unofficially conducted by some Serbians, Bulgarians and Romanians living here. Actually many of them lack in proper knowledge which is resulting in such consequence. They are tempted. The brokers say to them that they will help them move to any of the Schengen states in a legitimate way. Even there’s been several cases where a group of brokers issued some fake visas in the name of some Schengen States like Italy or France or Portugal as a part of making them understand that they truly can help them move to a Schengen state. Many of them who tried to fly to a Schengen State were sentenced jail because of showing fake marriage certificates. Actually these fake certificates were prepared by these mafias or brokers.
The brokers first take them to Macedonia. All the steps are based on some contract. Having reached at the international airport in Skopje one has to pay 600 to 800 Euros to the Airport Immigration officers. From Macedonia they are taken to Serbia by cars or lorries. Even sometimes these brokers directly take them to Serbia from Cyprus without entering Macedonia. Four or five years ago, many of the students were taken to the airport in Bulgaria or Romania on the basis of the contract. Now the government of these two countries have become strict. As a result no one can not enter Bulgaria or Romania although according to the rule if anyone has valid visa or residence permit issued by Cyprus should be allowed to enter Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia without any sort of visa.
After reaching Serbia; they try to move forward to the Hungarian borders. Brokers say to them that they already have contract with the Hungarian police and that’s the reason why they can freely enter Hungary. But the real fact is that they do not have any connectivity with the Hungarian police. There is a border line between Hungary and Serbia which lies in the region of Horgoš . Previously a large number of people could enter Hungary from this region because Hungarian police could not figure out the difference between the resident permit issued by Greece and Cyprus. They mismatched the residence permits issued by the Cyprus as the residence permit issued by a Schengen State and this is the reason why they could enter Hungary without any obstacles. However now they have realised this fact and now no one can enter Hungary from Serbia in this way. Many of them target to move to France after reaching Hungary. As far as we have learnt that there are a lot of people who came here as students have been compelled to stay in Serbia because they could not cross the boarder. In the recents the brokers have implemented a newer trick. They manage fake marriage certificates in name of them. With this fake marriage certificate they bring girls from remote parts of Bulgaria or Romania. With the help of the fake marriage certificates and the girls they try to enter Hungary. If the police of Hungary somehow can find that the marriage certificate which they have submitted are completely fake; they are sentenced jail for five years.
Students from these South Asian countries who fly to Macedonia or Serbia from the International Airport of Larnaca hardly return back into Cyprus. Loosing everything what they had with themselves once they come back to their home from Serbia. In accordance with the immigration rules of Cyprus if anyone comes here with Work Permit Visa; they can not go for a visit to any third countries without the approval of their owners. Now authority at the International Airport of Larnaca is not allowing anyone to fly to Macedonia or Serbia. So now they are trying to use the airport situated in North Cyprus. The authority at the Airport of North Cyprus are not familiarised with this fact. So they are being allowed to fly to Macedonia and Cyprus. So both of the authorities at the international airport of Larnaca and North Cyprus as well as the Hungarian Police needs to be much strict in this regard. Rules must be imposed strictly so that illegal human trafficking can be checked down and they mafias along with the brokers involved with this illegal human trafficking must be punished so that all of us can get rid of them in the future.
