People smugglers operating between Tunisia and the Italian island of Lampedusa have explained how they evade the authorities and bring migrants to Europe’s shores.
Smuggler Ali Karkenni said his routes are “tough for the coastguard to navigate” because they are too shallow for their vessels.
“Now the coastguard is improving and they are using helicopters, but they can’t do anything to us,” he told British broadcaster Sky News.
More than 1,000 people have died attempting to make this crossing in 2021.
Footage from Sky showed migrants who made the crossing getting picked up by the Italian authorities before being transported to an overcrowded detention centre.
An Ivorian migrant at the facility described how difficult the journey was.
“For two days we had no food or water,” she said.
“The motor broke down and we had to ask for help from some fishermen who called for assistance,”
'Enormous risks' taken with migrants' lives
Yet two people smugglers admitted to taking enormous risks with the lives of their passengers.
Karkenni described one of his “hardest times”, when he got caught 29 kilometres off the coast with 21 migrants.
“I poured fuel on their boat and my boat and I took a lighter and threatened them. They were worried about what I could do, so they let me go,” he said.
It was sad to see a mother attached by a rope to her baby, and another baby tied to a piece of wood. It was sad to see them all dead
Chamseddine Marzoug,
migrant gravedigger
Another people smuggler, whose name was not given, seemed unconcerned about the consequences of the perilous journey.
“You just need to take as many people as you can and not care if they die,” he said.
Chamseddine Marzoug, who buries migrants who do not survive the journey to Europe, explained how he occasionally sees women and children.
“I remember a time when we found two bodies washed ashore: a woman and a baby. She was hugging him so we buried them next to each other. We couldn’t separate them,” he said.
“It was sad to see a mother attached by a rope to her baby, and another baby tied to a piece of wood. It was sad to see them all dead.”
Lampedusa and the coast off Tunisia are littered with wrecked boats used by migrants.
The boats continue to arrive despite the efforts of authorities to pursue the smugglers.
Italian authorities are not alone in struggling to combat people smugglers. French police on Wednesday revealed their cat-and-mouse games with people-smuggling gangs.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Look%20Both%20Ways
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Wanuri%20Kahiu%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lili%20Reinhart%2C%20Danny%20Ramirez%2C%20David%20Corenswet%2C%20Luke%20Wilson%2C%20Nia%20Long%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
more from Janine di Giovanni
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
