Peregraf
The Raparin Youth Organization sounded the alarm on a growing wave of migration among youth in the Raperin district during a press conference today, revealing alarming statistics and blaming government neglect for the crisis.
According to the organization, 70 young people migrated from the town of Qaladze in a single night, while between 300 to 400 youths have left through Libya over the past month. The migration routes used are often extremely dangerous and facilitated by smugglers.
“Each person is spending up to $25,000 to make the journey,” the organization said. “According to one smuggler, 150 young people are expected to be smuggled abroad just this week.”
The organization also noted a rising number of young women joining the migration wave and strongly criticized the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), accusing it of neglecting the Raperin region and failing to provide opportunities or address the root causes of migration.
A previous report by Peregraf revealed that most Kurdish smugglers facilitating these dangerous journeys are originally from Qaladze and Ranya but operate from Turkey. They do not appear directly to the migrants but instead keep them in hotels near departure points for several nights before handing them over to others who guide them to overcrowded and often unseaworthy boats.
The peril of this migration route is reflected in data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to its Missing Migrants Project, 2,048 people died or went missing crossing the Mediterranean in 2021. The toll rose to 2,411 in 2022 and to 3,041 in 2023.
Data from the Lutka Agency for Refugee Affairs, a Kurdish migration NGO, shows that between 2015 and 2021, at least 649,273 Iraqis sought asylum in Europe. Of these, 296 died and 216 remain missing.
According to KRG statistics, more than 5,000 people attempted to migrate to European countries during the first seven months of 2024 alone. So far, at least 43 of them have died. The United Kingdom remains the primary destination.
The Raparin Youth Organization called on the KRG to take immediate action to improve conditions in the region and to develop real solutions to prevent further loss of life and talent.