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What role do smugglers play in the journey of unaccompanied minors?

Tessa Wigfield

and own words.

Smugglers, unfortunately, play a substantial role in the journey of unaccompanied minors. These minors who embark on perilous journeys, with little to no supervision or support from their families, are often met with challenges that exceed their limited resources. They are vulnerable and susceptible to exploitation by smugglers, who manipulate them into believing that crossing borders illegally is the only solution to their problems.

Smugglers lure these vulnerable minors with promises of safety, security, and a better life. This is a perpetuation of what has been said to be an age-old problem, which leaves these children in a state of uncertainty. The reality, however, is that the realities of the journey are far from what is promised. Many of them are crammed into small compartments, are often starved during the journey, and subjected to physical or sexual abuse. When they finally reach their destination, they might have to work for long hours in dangerous work environments without fair remuneration or even be forced into modern-day slavery.

Apart from these physical and emotional abuses, the unaccompanied minors who cannot pay their smuggling fees even receive worse treatment. Some are forced into prostitution as a means of re-payment while others are left abandoned in an unfamiliar place. Some smugglers even go to the extent of using these minors as drug mules without their consent, which means that their lives end up connected to criminal activities.

It cannot be denied that the numbers of unaccompanied minors are increasing, especially since 2014. This seems to be because of the unstable political and economic backgrounds of their home countries, as well as the constant wars among different states. With West Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America being the main sources of these refugees, one can only be skeptical about the future. The desperation that these minors often face, along with economic and mobility restrictions, only serve as a reminder that they might see the smugglers as their only escape.

To conclude, smugglers are a crucial part of the journey that unaccompanied minors have to undertake. Their actions are perpetuating the vulnerability of these children, who are at a loss as to how to navigate the world alone. The smuggling industry only thrives because the laws regulating immigration seem to be ineffective, which further puts these minors at risk. Therefore, more needs to be done on the legal front to ensure the protection of these minors and to help them have a clear sense of direction in life. Finally, it is important to realize that if we do not take on the issue of smuggling head-on, then we might be contributing to a system that leaves too many children at the mercy of those that feel no guilt in taking advantage of their desperation.