Behind the Mist.

Byline: NOREEN HAIDER

The unimaginable cruelty of Human Trafficking

'I am doing a service to the people. I don't force anyone to go abroad. People come to beg me to send them abroad' said Ashraf Gani Wala, from behind the bars, explaining his reasons for transporting people. He was one of the most wanted Human traffickers in Pakistan caught by Federal Investigation Agency.

'What is the future of a laborer in Pakistan? he lives like a beggar. I send to Europe where they earn well and can change the status of their families' said Gani Wala. When asked if he knew that it was illegal to cross international borders this way, besides being extremely dangerous he said, 'Of course I know everything. I also tell everyone that it is dangerous but people still want to go. It's their lives they want to risk.' But his words ranged hollow as he knew only too well that his business was selling a death trap, to unsuspecting young men ; false promises wrapped in an attractive packing , tied with deceit.

The human traffickers sell the promise of reaching Europe easily, travelling through land routes but omit the details that the journey would be made through dangerous mountain paths strewn with the bones of previous travellers, along the way.

The story of human trafficking is one of unimaginable cruelty, suffering and the insatiable greed of man.

The allure of reaching Europe has been the cause of human trafficking for a very long time in Pakistan. It all started in the nineteen sixties when Mangla Dam was built with the help of British Government and the displaced people were encouraged to immigrate to UK and europe.

Europe was rebuilding and the men found work and eventually made money. They built big houses in their ancestral villages and bought cars. To the locals this was a magical transformation which everybody wanted. Europe seemed like a golden land of opportunity where money was aplenty and getting rich was no problem.

But times do not remain static and the realities on ground change. With growing concerns for security, restrictions were made tighter, laws regarding immigration and asylum became stricter and it was no longer easy to move to Europe.

When visas became more difficult to obtain, people tried travelling on fake documents but with the advanced technology and biometric systems in place on airports it became an impossibility. Yet despite all these developments the young generation in Punjab from the early migrant areas, still wanted to go...