Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain
Despite a decrease over the past two years, illegal (smuggling) entry of Syrians from the city of Ras al-Ain in northwestern al-Hasakah to Turkey continues, either to work on its lands or to cross to other countries.
Smuggling journeys to Turkey are fraught with dangers, beginning with fraud and potentially facing the threat of death, in addition to the high costs that burden those wishing to cross. Many residents resort to smugglers to escape difficult conditions.
According to an Enab Baladi correspondent, the cost of smuggling from Ras al-Ain to Turkey ranges between $2,000 and $5,000 USD, depending on the routes taken by the smugglers and the risks of the areas they cross.
These amounts are high compared to the living and economic conditions, as daily laborers in Ras al-Ain earn between 80,000 and 100,000 Syrian pounds (the dollar equals 15,000 Syrian pounds), and the area is home to 115,000 people.
Despite the high costs, a significant number of these journeys fail, either because the individuals are caught by Turkish border guards or because they fall victim to smugglers.
Victims of fraud
Many people in Ras al-Ain fall victim to fraud techniques practiced by smugglers, who make promises of safe routes in exchange for large sums and then disappear after receiving the money, or abandon people mid-way, exposing them to injury or death during failed crossing attempts.
Marwan, displaced from Homs to Ras al-Ain, was a victim of fraud by smugglers during his attempt to cross to Turkey. He said the smuggler convinced him that the route would be easy and safe, prompting him to pay $4,500 to secure the journey.
He added that the smuggler abandoned him after receiving the money, leaving him in a remote area about two kilometers past the border wall, contrary to the agreement, noting that Turkish border security arrested him after long hours of waiting and returned him to Ras al-Ain for the fifth time.
Adnan said he paid $3,800 to the smuggler who assured him that the crossing would be trouble-free. When they reached the border wall, the smuggler told him he would cross and find a car waiting for him along with other passengers, but when they crossed, they found nothing.
Adnan added that they faced gunfire from Turkish border guards, and some of them were beaten. He pointed out that they were handed over to the Ras al-Ain police, which fined each person 5,000 Turkish liras (about $150).
Fatima Hassan from Ras al-Ain said her husband, in Norway, sent her family reunion papers through the embassy in Ankara, and due to the lack of an official way to enter Turkey, she found herself forced to search for smuggling routes.
She explained that after making her decision, she was bombarded with offers from smugglers, some of whom offered to get her into Turkey through the official gate and others through different routes. She added that she paid $3,500 to one smuggler who then suddenly disappeared.
She noted that her husband decided to transfer the family reunification request to Lebanon to complete the procedures after the failed experiences and the fraud they were subjected to.
Some attempts to enter Turkey have cost people their lives, including the December 2023 shooting death of young man Moeidi Jassem al-Barghash by Turkish border guards during his attempt to enter illegally.
Anti-smuggling laws
Smuggling operations have decreased over the past two years due to strict security measures imposed by the Turkish side, including the installation of advanced thermal cameras and the deployment of a large number of Turkish soldiers along the border.
The Ras al-Ain local council issued a series of laws in cooperation with the military and civil police to combat smuggling operations, including imposing financial fines on individuals caught by the military police, civil police, or Turkish gendarmerie, in addition to prison sentences for those involved in smuggling activities.
Ziad Malki, spokesperson for the Ras al-Ain local council, told Enab Baladi that the council, in cooperation with military institutions in Ras al-Ain, issued several laws to combat human smuggling through illegal routes.
He explained that among these laws are strict penalties for individuals involved in smuggling, including prison terms up to five years or more.
Malki added that the local council decided to impose financial fines on those caught trying to enter Turkey illegally. The fines are 5,000 Turkish liras for the first time, 7,000 Turkish liras for the second time, and 10,000 Turkish liras with three months’ imprisonment for the third time.
He indicated that the local council is working as much as possible to provide job opportunities, support small projects, and facilitate business startup procedures to encourage individuals to stay and avoid smuggling routes.
Ras al-Ain is a key area for people to cross into Turkey through smuggling routes despite the dangers, and many people from al-Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor come to Ras al-Ain to cross into Turkey through smuggling routes.
A large number of people from other provinces have settled in Ras al-Ain due to their many failed attempts to cross into Turkey. Some have established their own businesses due to the difficulty or impossibility of crossing, while others have returned to their areas after losing hope of crossing.
Ras al-Ain is located along the Turkish border and is controlled by the Syrian National Army (SNA), with frontlines against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) surrounding it. The Turkish border is its only outlet to the outside world.