For many people who left their countries in search of a better life, their journeys ended in tragedy. According to the research, more than 34,000 illegal migrants drowned during the 21-year period.“The migrant/refugee problem is not about to end,” said Ethem Özgüven, an academic at İstanbul Bilgi University’s faculty of communication. In his view, many countries, especially in Europe, think that they will put an end to the problem by implementing strict rules againt migrants and refugees; however, some people believe that the only way to end the problem worldwide is to abolish all borders. Özgüven has shot a few short films on illegal migrant’s issues. At a length of about 30 minutes each, thanks to these short films Özgüven has created considerable interest in the issue.
Taner Kılıç, the president of the Association for Solidarity with Refugees (MÜLTECİ-DER), said people leave their countries for various reasons. Although some refugees abandon their homes out of fear for their lives, some people leave their countries for better financial prospects. “Some people are also not aware of the fact that they are inside Turkey’s borders as they are illiterate, only realizing later that they are in Turkey,” noted Kılıç. “Authorities should analyze the underlying reason why these people left their countries before they reach the decision that all of these people are illegal migrants,” said Kılıç.
Kılıç said they want officials to question people about the reasons for leaving their homes. “People detained inside Turkey are generally labeled as illegal migrants without any questioning. This is wrong. Authorities should carry out investigations before they label all people fleeing their countries as illegal migrants, and they should discover the underlying reasons why they left,” said Kılıç.
In addition to the more than 34,000 illegal migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, 15,000 migrants were found dead inside Europe’s borders. While 4,500 people perished in trying to reach Spain, approximately 140 people drowned while heading from Algeria to Sardinia.
