Migration is not worth the risk, says Syrian man whose family drowned

Thomson Reuters

A Syrian man whose wife and seven children drowned as they attempted to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to mainland Europe has warned other refugees that the risks of migration are not worth taking.

Ali Alsaho and his family had been fleeing Islamic State militants in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, when the engine of the boat they were travelling on failed near the coastal town of Çeşme in western Turkey last month.

Alsaho was the only member of the family to survive. His wife and children, who were aged between nine and 20 days old, all drowned.

Speaking through tears, Alsaho told the BBC that smugglers had told his family they would not need life jackets because the boat was safe. “I had the most affectionate wife. I took my family out of Syria to escape the killing. My children could have had a future in Europe. Now I have lost my family, my world,” he said.

Asked what advice he had for other refugees considering the perilous journey to Europe, Alsaho said:

“I would say don’t take this risk. Don’t go by sea. You will lose your children. The smugglers are traitors. They said we would reach Greece within 15 minutes. I advise everyone: don’t come, stay in Syria, however difficult it is.”

The bodies of some of Alsaho’s children, as well as his wife, have not yet been recovered. Their tragic story is not uncommon – this week, another group of migrants, including six Afghan children, drowned after a rubber dinghy carrying them to Greece sank in the Aegean.

They are among more than 3,500 people who have died or been reported missing this year while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe. Turkey is under international pressure to help stem the flow of migrants.

Ankara has stepped up a crackdown on people smuggling, arresting thousands of refugees, after it promised to curb the flow of refugees to Greece in exchange for financial aid from the EU.

Thomson ReutersThe EU’s pledge of €3bn (£2.11bn) in aid for the 2.2 million Syrians now in Turkey is intended to raise living standards and persuade migrants to stay in the country rather than attempt the journey to the EU via the Greek islands.

“As Turkey is making an effort to take in refugees – who will not come to Europe – it’s reasonable that Turkey receive help from Europe to accommodate those refugees,” the French president, François Hollande, said at the time.

As part of the deal, Ankara was also offered a “re-energised” negotiating process on Turkish membership of the EU, as well as visa-free travel to Europe’s Schengen zone for Turkish nationals. David Cameron said: “We need a comprehensive solution to the migrant crisis in Europe and obviously that involves Turkey.”

Meanwhile, Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, recently told the Guardian that refugees arriving in Europe should be detained for up to 18 months in holding centres across the EU while they are screened for security and terrorism risks.

Hollande has said a deal with Turkey should make it easier to check migrants arriving and keep out those who pose a threat. 

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