Enab Baladi – Ras al-Ain
Due to accumulating debts, which have reached $8,500 (128 million Syrian pounds), Adnan is waiting for the next opportunity to cross illegally (smuggling) from his city of Ras al-Ain in northwestern al-Hasakah to Turkey, hoping to find work to repay his debts.
For Adnan (42 years old), the decision to immigrate has become the only and forced option, as he has suffered consecutive losses over three years due to poor production from his agricultural land (55 dunams) and weak crop marketing, leading to increased debts.
Ultimately, Adnan was forced to sell what remained of his agricultural project, a solar energy system, for $2,700, hoping this amount would be enough to reach Turkey and work there to pay off his debts and meet the needs of his family consisting of six members.
The rising cost of living, lack of job opportunities, and declining agricultural production have led to the accumulation of debts with an inability to repay them, prompting many residents of Ras al-Ain to decide on illegal immigration to Turkey, despite the risks.
Some believe that this route may be the only solution to improve their conditions, as the area is geographically constrained between Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the Turkish border being their only outlet to the outside.
No ability to repay
The option of immigration is not limited to men and young people; it has also included women in Ras al-Ain, which has about 115,000 inhabitants, most of whom rely on agriculture as a primary source of income, while daily wages for laborers are around $6.5 (between 80,000 Syrian pounds and 100,000).
To secure the cost of entering Turkey through smuggling, Ms. Abeer was forced to sell her house in the village of Madaba in the Ras al-Ain countryside for $9,000, to work in agriculture, where the daily wages in Turkey are better.
After the death of her husband seven years ago, the forties-aged Abeer is no longer able to meet her family’s needs, despite working with her three daughters in unstable daily jobs, but the wages do not cover their basic needs.
Abeer told Enab Baladi that she and her daughters attempted to cross into Turkey in the summer but were detained by the Turkish border guards (gendarmerie) and returned to Ras al-Ain with a fine of $150 imposed on each of them (the fine was in Turkish lira, totaling 5,000 lira).
She and her daughters are currently waiting for a new opportunity to cross, after the smuggler promised them they would be able to cross in winter, as foggy and rainy weather would facilitate the process.
As for the decision made by young Ahmad to immigrate illegally to Turkey, it came after he lost hope of finding a job in Ras al-Ain, with debts accumulating to $3,500.
A year ago, the 34-year-old young man arrived in Ras al-Ain from Lebanon after facing difficulties staying there due to military escalation, where he worked as a truck driver transporting goods.
Ahmad attempted to enter Turkey multiple times, but he failed; he still hopes for the arrival of winter and fog, wishing for an opportunity to pass, which would allow him to improve his family’s living conditions (he has two children) and repay his debts.
The smuggling trips to Turkey are fraught with dangers, beginning with the risk of fraud and possibly leading to life-threatening situations, in addition to high costs burdening those wishing to cross, as many residents resort to smugglers to escape difficult circumstances.
According to Enab Baladi‘s correspondent observation, the cost of smuggling from Ras al-Ain to Turkey ranges between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the routes taken by smugglers and the level of danger in the areas they cross.
Efforts to secure job opportunities
Ras al-Ain primarily relies on the agricultural sector, limiting the diversity of job opportunities available to residents, with no universities present, as the educational series ends with the student surpassing the secondary education stage.
Intisar Dodah, head of the social services office in Ras al-Ain, told Enab Baladi that the local council is working to reduce the phenomenon of immigration according to available capabilities.
She explained that the council and institutions working in Ras al-Ain have succeeded in providing job opportunities for about 6,000 people over the past two years, and the council still strives to create more opportunities.
Dodah added that the council has opened a cheese and dairy factory and a café, and a commercial shopping center is currently being established, which will provide dozens of jobs.
She pointed out the necessity for organizations to intervene and support livelihood projects, especially in the agricultural sector, which is considered the lifeline for the region, emphasizing the urgent need for international aid to improve the economic situation.
Fines to curb smuggling
The operations of smuggling have declined over the past two years due to the tightening security measures enforced by the Turkish side, which included installing advanced thermal cameras and deploying a large number of Turkish soldiers along the border.
In a previous statement to Enab Baladi, the spokesperson for the local council in Ras al-Ain, Ziad Malaki, said that the local council, in cooperation with military institutions in the city, issued several laws aimed at combating human smuggling through illegal routes.
He explained that among these laws are strict penalties for individuals involved in smuggling, including imprisonment for periods up to five years or more.
Malaki added that the council decided to impose financial fines on individuals caught trying to enter Turkey illegally, with the fine being 5,000 Turkish lira for the first offense, 7,000 lira for the second, and 10,000 Turkish lira with a three-month prison sentence for the third.
He emphasized that the council is working as much as possible to provide job opportunities, support small projects, and facilitate procedures to relieve economic pressures on residents.
Ras al-Ain is a key area for crossing people into Turkey via smuggling routes despite their dangers, with many people from al-Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor provinces coming to Ras al-Ain to cross into Turkey through smuggling routes.
Some people arriving from other provinces have settled in Ras al-Ain due to their numerous unsuccessful attempts to cross into Turkey, and some have established their own businesses due to the difficulty or impossibility of crossing. Others returned to their areas after losing hope of crossing.
According to a report prepared by Enab Baladi last September, many people in Ras al-Ain fall victim to scams practiced by smugglers, who make promises of safe routes in exchange for large sums of money, then disappear after receiving the money or leave them halfway amidst the risks of injury and death during failed crossing attempts.