Criminal people smugglers or saviors?

joe-90 · 4 Sep 2015

Well which is it? We keep hearing about how the west wants to smash the people smuggling gangs, but aren't these the people that are providing salvation by getting people over to Europe? How would they get here if it weren't for the smugglers? Aren't they doing a service? If things aren't that bad over there, why are they coming over here? If things are dire over there - aren't they helping people escape? Make your minds up folks. Heroes or villains?

longdogs · 4 Sep 2015

An excellent question.

AronSearle · 4 Sep 2015

Not really, pretty dumb question.

They charge a fortune, and their mode of transport may or may not kill you or your children.

longdogs · 4 Sep 2015

But who would be providing the service if they were not?

Bosswhite · 4 Sep 2015

There will always be those that will try and make money out of other peoples distress

How can anyone call them Heroes

joe-90 · 4 Sep 2015

A hero is someone that rescues others from dire consequences. A hero can come in many forms. That doesn't mean they have to work for free does it? If the smugglers didn't save the poor Syrians - you'd not hear or see anything on the news would you? Aron doesn't understand the question.

JohnD · 4 Sep 2015

both, if they might be saving the lives of refugees who would otherwise perish, but are doing so in a criminal way. There is probably not much heroism though, when it is a purely commercial transaction with no element of altruism. If some Dutch neighbour had smuggled Anne Frank to safety without payment, and putting themselves at risk of death, that would be a heroic act, but would also have been a crime.

If I want to travel to Ireland, nobody will try to stop me, so no people-smuggler can make a fortune out of putting me in a small boat and perhaps drowning me.

joe-90 · 4 Sep 2015

But people are perishing in the Middle East. The smugglers are saving them. Merkel says that anyone who makes their way to Germany will be accepted as refugees. Being as the only way to get there is by using people traffickers (travel agents), she must condone the work that they do. She's certainly encouraging a few million more to pack their bags and head across Europe.

EFLImpudence · 4 Sep 2015

I must admit I haven't given it much thought, but -

From where are they being 'smuggled' or is it only 'smuggled' because they wouldn't be allowed in to the destination.

As it costs so much why can't they use the normal means of transport? Same reason?

Perhaps the Navy should offer a regular service between Beirut and Greece.

JohnD · 4 Sep 2015

Germany has a long-ish tradition of accepting and resettling refugees with a generous spirit. This has two reasons:

- many East Germans fled to the West by circuitous routes, also people, with or without German connections, from the rest of Eastern Europe prior to the first collapse of the Soviet Union. Many of these became decent, educated and hard-working residents who absorbed German ethics.

- atonement for previous national crimes

vinty · 6 Sep 2015

didn't take the Turks long to round up the smugglers involved in the death of the 3 year old child, they seem to be turning a blind eye to the activities of the smugglers.

breadnbutter · 7 Sep 2015

There traffickers, no doubt they traffic slaves,drugs,arms,ect, so no, there in it for the money, they dont care what happens once they get payed.

joe-90 · 7 Sep 2015

But if they didn't do it the refugees wouldn't be able to escape the people they are escaping from. Doesn't that make them tour operators?

longdogs · 7 Sep 2015

Unfortunately joe, some are not able to see the irony in the question.

vinty · 8 Sep 2015

I don't know why the Turkish government doesn't lay on ferry's for refugee/migrants because they don't seem to being doing alot to stop the smugglers.

Criminal people smugglers or saviors?

longdogs

longdogs

vinty

longdogs

vinty

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