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by Ranga Kalansooriya

"I was put into a train which carries logs across the borders of Europe together with several others. I had no idea of the country, but I think it was Croatia. I only knew that my final destination was to be Italy. Several logs were put over us and the train started moving.

"The logs were heavy but we had to bear the pain. But, we could not move much further because a Croatian border guard suspected the carriage and checked. That was the end of my dream to reach Italy."

This was the story of Thusitha of Chilaw who sought a better future in Italy by risking his life.

He is one of thousands of refugees, asylum seekers or illegal immigrants - as the technical term specifies - who made desperate attempts to cross rough seas or tightly guarded borders.

Dreams of those who want to cross international borders or territorial waters have become a source of income at most times not only a source, but a fountain - to many a smuggler.

Human smuggling has now become the most profitable `trade' even surpassing drug trafficking. This trade includes smuggling of minor labour - child labour in particular - sex workers and several others.

Hot cash and less risk for smugglers - they risk others' lives - are the two main attractions of this particular trade. "If you are a drug peddler, and if you are caught, that may be the end of the story. But it is not so with human smuggling. Once a human smuggler is caught, he can claim asylum and run away. There may be dozens of destinations that may welcome him," says S. Thurairaja, a Senior State Counsel of the Attorney General' Department, an expert of Emigration and Immigration laws.

Singapore

According to Thusitha, he and six others had been stranded in Singapore for many months. Later they met a person who sends persons to Italy through Croatia. "We understood that he had very good contacts even at the Singapore airport. He was a leading member of the mafia," Thusitha recalls.

Those who are in the trade have established a network of links at Immigration and Emigration Office (for passports), Embassies (for visas) and at the airport. "Sometimes they spend around Rs. 100,000 to get their clients cleared at the airport," said a senior police officer at the Fraud Bureau.

"This is not one person who does this trade. It is a well organised international network," he said.

This time of the year smugglers take maximum advantage in transporting clients to their dream lands, mainly to Europe. Summer provides a better environment with less risk for persons who are willing to risk their lives in rough seas and desolate lands.

No sophisticated equipment like razor wire fences, heat sensors or infrared cameras have been able to defeat or discourage smugglers with sharp brains. Britain, the most attractive destination in Europe that draws refugees and illegal immigrants by thousands every year is trying hard to protect its boundaries, but has failed. The second highest number of applications for refugee status in the UK is from Sri Lankans after Iraqis.

Many of these persons who risk their lives are surprisingly well qualified. "Most of them are from reputed professions; chemists, engineers, technicians doctors and teachers and mostly they are Afghans, Iraqis, Turkish, Kurds and Iranians," said a recent article in The Guardian.

According to Stephen Castle of the Oxford Centre for Refugees, many countries affected by a poor fertility rate, are struggling to keep their population balance at a considerable level by allowing the influx of foreigners, directly or by other means. Italy is experiencing a staggering 1.2 percent growth rate, Spain 1.5 percent and Singapore 0.9 percent. A country should maintain at least 2.1 percent growth rate for a sustainable population balance.

There is a massive demand for low-skilled labour in the developed countries, he says. Most of these countries have a tendency to get skilled labour from immigrants and unskilled labour from illegal immigrants. "If we sack all illegal immigrants from the country, most of the restaurants and small businesses have to be closed down," said a British Home Office spokesman during a media interview recently.

Australia

Australia, where one in four of its 19 million population were born overseas, is another attractive destination for refugees. "We are one of only nine countries in the world that operate a dedicated offshore humanitarian resettlement program every year. Last year Australia granted 13,733 onshore and offshore humanitarian visas," said a senior Diplomat in the Australian High Commission in Colombo.

However, the recent episode of Norwegian flagged Tampa refugee ship that carried 434 asylum seekers - mostly Afghans - brought considerable international criticism to Australia, a fact that even its Prime Minister John Howard accepted.

Canada

Canada is only second to Australia on overseas born population with a percentage of 17.4, said an official in the Canadian High Commission. Most Sri Lankans find their way illegally to Canada through Singapore. "Sometimes this number goes well beyond 1000 per year," he said. Also some of these illegal migrants would cross the United States border to enter Canada.

"You can find Sri Lankan refugees everywhere in the world," said Foreign Ministry's Consular Director General Y.L.M. Zawahir. "They are even in Iceland, Mauritania and Peru," he added.

With their traditional skills in fishing, Sri Lankans produce master-skippers who can even sail around the world with minimum facilities. They are brave to run multi-day fishing boats to smuggle people into Europe, Australia and other destinations around the globe.

Negombo is the main centre that connects Sri Lanka with the international sea route of human smuggling network. The `Little Italy' in Wennappuwa is the main supply source for this network, people say.

"There are couple of groups that run this racket in this area. They make millions of money - in dollars - by this trade," says Negombo HQI Gamini Mathurata.

The latest was the boat that carried 110 Sri Lankans and got stranded in Yemen.

The police believe that the human smuggling trade in Negombo commenced a couple of years ago. "May be in the late '90s. We have records that two boats arrived in Australia and more than 30 have reached Italy safely during the past three years," said a senior police officer who wanted to be anonymous.

Italy

These smugglers work very closely with international racketeers, the police alleged. They ensure a relatively safe 28-day journey - in a calm sea - from Negombo to Italy, but with less facilities. Sometimes, on the way, they enter international harbours for refuelling and all arrangements are made before hand to make sure that they are safe while refuelling. "It's only a matter of dozens of dollars into a pocket. They even pass through Suez Canal comfortably by paying a couple of hundred dollars," said the police officer quoting an arrested smuggler.

The passengers were charged Rs 150,000 - 200,000 earlier, but now the cost has come down. It is about Rs. 75,000 - 100,000 now, he added.

Due to the tightened security in Negombo and its suburb, the smugglers have changed their entry port to Kirinda, Ranna, Suduwella and Beruwala.

The boats have the minimum requirements for its passengers, but no toilets or sanitary facilities. The smugglers mostly select boats that are to be seized by Finance Companies for defaulting. Once they complete the mission either they destroy the boat or sell it to another human smuggling agent of another country. However, the boat never returns.

"According to information we have at the moment, there are more than 17 boats in the sea sailing towards Italy," the unnamed police officer said.

The food, mainly, is dry rations or biscuits. "Once a passenger completes the 28-day trip, he would have lost at least 15-20 kilos."

"We have no laws to curb human smuggling," says Chief Inspector Mathurata. "We cannot arrest people while sailing. They may claim that they were fishing. Nobody can stop people getting into a huge boat in groups."

But State Counsel Thurairaja disputes this argument. "Why not? with available data and proof we can take action under the Emigration and Immigration Act. You do not need 50 or 60 people with sufficient food for fishing. You should search for equipment they possess for such a purpose," he argues.

But the police officer countered his argument, "A couple of months ago we arrested a boat with 35 persons. They said they were on a sailing trip to Kataragama via Kirinda!"

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