By Baber Khan

Kabul, Dec 4 (EFE).- At least 146,000 Afghan migrants have sought to reach Europe in the wake of the withdrawal of NATO troops in January and an accompanying rise in violence, many of whom have had to shell out up to $10,000 to people traffickers to fulfill their dream.

Sabawoon Baqizowy, 16, is preparing to leave his home in the eastern province of Laghman in search of the European promised land. He is his family’s eldest son and thus duty-bound to provide for its 10 members.

Unlike previous years, the 2015 harvest yield has not even covered planting costs, and Baqizowy figures that Europe “at least” offers him the hope of being able to send back enough money to cover his family’s “basic necessities.”

“It seems as if everything went away with the foreigners. Security is getting worse since their withdrawal; the sources of income are diminishing; the Taliban are advancing toward the cities and new calamities are arising,” Baqizowy told EFE.

His father, Shir Agha, is aware of the risks but believes that the possibility of obtaining asylum in Europe is a much better bet than an “uncertain and dim future” under the shadow of terrorism and poverty.

He has already borrowed the $10,000 to cover the cost of the journey, which will take Baqizowy to Turkey via Iran, along with five other people; once in Turkey, another group of smugglers will take his son to his final destination.

Like the 16-year-old, 40 percent of people in Afghanistan – the world’s No. 2 “exporter” of refugees, with 6.1 million spread across 52 nations – say they would leave behind their homeland if given the opportunity, according to a poll by the Asia Foundation.

People traffickers are not hard to find in Afghanistan, whether directly or via so-called “agents,” intermediaries who at one time sent family members to Europe and are now screening clients to avoid threats to the smuggling network.

The traffickers meet with clients in roadside ditches, barbershops or cafes. A reservation-only restaurant in western Kabul is the spot chosen by Mama, a smuggler whose pseudonym means “maternal uncle” in Pashto, for an interview with EFE.

He appears to be around 50 years old, and when asked about his services he claims his route is safer and more comfortable than those used by his competitors.

He offers two all-inclusive travel options: one overland at a cost of $6,500 and another that also involves a flight to Iran or Turkey that costs between $8,000 and $10,000 and requires the migrant to have a valid passport.

A client’s money is held by an intermediary and only released to the trafficker upon arrival at the destination, Mama said, adding that the system is “reliable.”

He claims his three children and two cousins went to Europe using the land route.

“It’s a familiar and safe route; there’s no risk to your life and you will travel with other families, including women and children,” the trafficker said.

He said the journey involved using public transport prior to arrival at the border with Iran, while border crossings into Iran and later into Turkey are on foot.

From that point onward, the route is typically unplanned and can change based on the situation and the path preferred by local smugglers, Mama said, adding that Greece and Bulgaria are the most common destinations.

“The biggest problem is Iran,” he said, adding that once across the border it takes only a day to reach Turkey.

The Afghan government has launched several TV and billboard campaigns to dissuade people from emigrating illegally.

It is also trying to create employment opportunities and improve security conditions, the main cause of a lack of confidence in the country’s future, the Refugee Ministry’s spokesperson, Islamuddin Jurat, told EFE.

He said, however, that despite efforts to find short- and medium-term solutions in collaboration with international allies, “it will take time to address the problem.”

Before leaving the restaurant in Kabul, Mama downplayed concerns about safety risks for migrants, saying with a chuckle that “it’s a normal, everyday thing to plan a trip to Europe, I know it’s very easy to get there.” EFE