Tens of thousands of people fleeing war-torn Syria and conflict elsewhere in the region are making the dangerous trek towards Western Europe in search of a better, safer life. For most refugees coming from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, the safest and most commonly traveled path to Europe begins in Turkey. For Syrians, $100 and 24 hours will get you the 723 miles from Aleppo, Syria, to Izmir, Turkey. In Istanbul -- and these days, mostly the coastal town of Izmir, Turkey -- human smugglers take thousands of dollars to get refugees a seat on flimsy, rubber boats headed for the Greek islands. With the boats overcrowded and hardly equipped for the high seas, 2,400 people have died on the water this year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Once in Greece, the refugees go first to Macedonia, then Serbia, then Hungary, Austria and finally Germany. For many, that's the final destination, the dream destination. For others, they continue north to Scandinavia....
↧