Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour

by Peter Tinti, Tuesday Reitano

Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Savior investigates one of the most under-examined aspects of the great migration crisis of our time. As millions seek passage to Europe, in order to escape violent conflicts, repressive governments, and crushing poverty, their movements are enabled and actively encouraged by criminal networks that amass billions of dollars by facilitating their transport.

Many of these smugglers carry out their activities with little regard for human rights, which has led to a manifold increase in human suffering, not only in the Mediterranean Sea, but also along the overland smuggling routes that cross the Sahara, penetrate deep into the Balkans, and through hidden corners of Europe's capitals. But some of these smugglers are revered as saviors by those they move, for it is they who deliver men, women, and children to a safer place and a better life. Disconcertingly, it is often criminals who help the most desperate among us when the international system fails to come to their aid.

This book is a measured attempt, born of years of research and reporting in the field, to better understand how human-smuggling networks function, the ways in which they have evolved, and what they mean for peace and security in the future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Africa, Libya

331 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2016

About the author

Peter Tinti is an independent journalist and Senior Research Fellow at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime. Formerly based in West Africa, his writing, reporting, and photography has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Vice, among other outlets.

Reviews

[Tinea · Rating 5 out of 5]

... To create a world in which the most vulnerable can find their own place, and where, to find refuge and opportunity, one needs neither a smuggler nor a savior.

Tinti and Reitano present a cogent, timely argument, built on a breadth of evidence few have access to, for better migration policy in Europe. They demonstrate how militarized and criminalized responses to migration drive up demand for smugglers to facilitate movement. The harder a border, the more power smugglers have over migrants attempting to cross it, and the more sophisticated, professional, exploitative, and violent the smuggling becomes. Through case studies of different legs of the European migrant crisis, Tinti and Reitano prove this to be true.

The gem here is the story of the trans-Sahara route. Living and traveling in Mali, Chad, Northern Nigeria, Senegal, and across the sea in Italy, I have seen the villages and the reasons why men leave, and I've seen the shit labor conditions and chronic asylum limbo into which they arrive. The Mediterranean crossing is available to Northern eyes through collective witness from the Northern shore; coastal Libyan horrors trickle out in human rights reports. But the delicate intricacies of the political economy of the space between Agadez and Zuwarah-- the drug and arms routes, the nationalist and religious movements, the shifting ethnic and economic powers-- have mostly been hidden and incomprehensible. Readers are given a gift of analysis from unique authors: Peter Tinti, an American journalist notably integrated into and able to move within the Sahelian societies he writes about (judging by years following his reporting), and Tuesday Reitano with evident depth of knowledge of geopolitics in Libya and across the Sahara (judging by her name peppered throughout the book's endnotes). This historical and informed centering of Saharan Africa is rare in the migration literature; the book is an important addition.

There's a short nod to the US/Mexico border, which is held up as a warning. The US' militarized "policy of deterrence" drives brutal cartel profits and its mass deportations further destabilize the Central American countries from where refugees flee, incentivizing more movement. Tinti and Reitano don't mention NAFTA, but a succinct indictment of the neoliberal globalization principle of free movement of capital but not labor, quoting Oxfam's obscene statistics on global inequality, is in the Conclusion.

The final takeaway? If you want to reduce abuse and exploitation of migrants and refugees, ensure free, safe passage. If you want to reduce migration and the need for refuge, address the structures that drive people to move: global inequality, poverty, climate change, authoritarianism, war. But also, let people move. "Migration is almost universally a positive phenomenon," the authors state. We know this. It has been articulated by social movements for decades. Tinti and Reitano add important evidence.

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See also this reviews by African Arguments

Check out the mulitmedia Policy Paper to go along with the book.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Put simply; this is the best book I have read on the subject of migration. The book takes the approach of looking at the migration crisis from the point of view of the smugglers themselves; those people who help refugees and migrants cross conflict areas, borders, and even seas, in their dream of reaching Europe. The authors observe that all those who are smuggled have entered a voluntary transactional relationship; they are not being trafficked. Further, many of the smuggled people feel that the smugglers are helping, not hurting them. The book looks at the business models of smugglers, and then proceeds to look at the dominant routes; from the Central Mediterranean, to Egypt, and Turkey. It also looks at the trans-Sahelian migration routes, as well as intra-European migration; Incredibly well researched, passionately written; highly recommended!

[anna near · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the global migration crisis.

[Florence Séguin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some images are powerful representations of what became known as the “European Migrant Crisis” : overcrowded rubber inflatable boats accosting the Greek or Italian shores, a massive pile of abandoned life jackets, and the heart-breaking photo of lifeless 3 years old Syrian boy Alan Kurdi. Upon their release, these images outraged the world and prompted a wave of compassion for the migrants, and calls for more humanity in our actions towards them. It also brought some of the harsh realities of illegal border crossing out from the shadows into the public domain. In Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour, authors Peter Tinti and Tuesday Reitano are seeking to unveil the complex reality of smuggling networks as part of a global illicit economy, more than often overlooked by in-depth analysis of the so-called migrant crisis. Their other aim is to move away from the oversimplified narratives carried by the media and many politicians about “villains”, highly organized criminals taking advantage of desperate, and vulnerable individuals and families.

In contrast with these discourses, Tinti and Reitano approach smuggling as a vast and decentralized international business, which is, like their legal counterparts, highly sensitive to the “market” conditions and demand driven. In this line of thought, their central argument focus on the fact that restrictions and policies aimed at reducing the flow of migrants, “closing the borders” simply fuels the demand for the smuggling industry. The authors make a really good use of first-hand accounts obtained in various smuggling “hubs” such as Niger, Turkey, and Libya, among others, to illustrate the subtleties of this shadow economy. Through individuals stories of migrants and smugglers, and sometimes individuals who are both, the reader can start to grasp the multitude of factors to take into account when considering smuggling networks and the urgent need to nuance our approach to it.

They also make a crucial distinction between human trafficking and human smuggling: smuggling is a consensual agreement between persons in which migrants are demanding and paying for a service provider. The illegal and increasingly dangerous nature of the act, due to “closed borders” policies, is what made reliance on criminal networks more and more common because of their resources and experience with transporting goods illegally. Without any denial that smugglers are also sometimes traffickers and that many migrants have endured threats and high levels of violence, Tinti and Reitano convincingly point out the ambiguous status of “smuggling”. The phenomena is not defined by a single group of actors; it involves in part professional criminals, but also opportunistic individuals, diasporas trying to supporting some of their own, and even “good samaritains” simply trying to help people in need.

Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour is a fascinating account of a piece of reality almost completely missing from the narratives about migration. Most media coverage and analysis make us understand for the most part how violent and prolonged conflicts, such as the Syrian one, are the driving factor behind the decision to leave, and how this decision tends to unfold itself on a beach in Greece as part of a journey in reaching specific countries in Europe. But there is almost no account of what happens in between those two events, or of the other types of motivations and means driving the voyage to Europe. Because of the shady nature of the networks used by migrants during their journey, this account could not have been done in any other way that with the detailed individual stories used by the authors. This type of story telling provides with an element of fascination and emotion that makes the book highly readable and suitable for more general audiences. On the other hand, the authors support and link these personalized stories with extensive research based on empirical, historical and statistical data, providing a strong analysis that can provide solid grounds on which to build further research.

In the end, despite the initial claim from the authors that their work is “neither a call to action nor a work of moral outrage” (which is accountable for the professional and unbiased tone they maintain) the book draws attention to the flaws of a “one size fits all” solution to the migrant crisis. Furthermore, they compel us to deconstruct myths on illegal migration that are fuelling the almost neurotic concerns about security on which political leaders and populations build support for harsh migration policies and the building of a “Fortress Europe”.

[Caroline Yun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a complex and nuanced matter that reducing it to my incompetent babbling would be insulting. So I’m sharing a few paragraphs from the authors, though I still recommend reading the book in its entirety!

“In short, the time has come to recognize that when addressing irregular migration and migrant smuggling, simple dichotomies of good and bad, right and wrong, deserving and undeserving are a dangerous fallacy. The migrant crisis has only reinforced the fact that humans today live in a complex web of interdependencies, where long histories of interaction between peoples and nations have interwoven to bring us to our current state of global affairs.

Not everyone will welcome these new realities, nor should they be forced to, but nostalgia is not a policy, and it is no way to govern. Fighting for a return to an idealized status quo ante, a past that was never as good or as righteous as memory serves, is a blueprint for creating a world we do not want to live in. The time has come to open our minds and elevate the discourse so that we may find a pragmatic way forward; To create a world in which the most vulnerable can find their own place, and where, to find refuge and opportunity, one needs neither a smuggler nor a savior.”

[Meepspeeps · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly researched and detailed book about migrants to Europe from war zones and other economically depressed areas of the world. The level of detail actually detracted from the stories for me. Yet the authors make an impressive economic case for the human smugglers and their positive impact on local stops along the routes. They also explain how government policy, particularly militarization and policing (especially corrupt policing), can shift smuggling operations from "mom and pop" to ruthless criminal networks. I recommend this to peeps who want to understand human smuggling better, especially its economics, and appreciate the personal reasons that motivate peeps to leave their home countries, bear all the suffering along the smuggling route, and arrive at their desired location, generally in the rich countries of Europe.

[Rose Lindgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to have at least one non-fiction book on the go at all times. This one in particular I chose because of its relevancy to my work and the state of the migrant crisis. Tinti and Reitano take a semi-journalistic, semi-academic look at migration and smuggling, specifically from Africa and the Middle East to Europe. They start with the perspective that smugglers are primarily service providers. There is exploitation and poor treatment, however the darkest corners of smuggling tend to emerge when borders close and security tightens. It is a fascinating and engaging and harrowing story that concludes with pragmatic and paradigm-upsetting recommendations for migration policy. In this modern world, it is impossible and undesirable to stop migration; much better to manage and benefit from it.

[Christian Donny Putranto · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was just another account of smuggling business that takes advantage of refugees. But, I couldn't be more wrong. This book tells the journey of the author who personally interviewed some notorious smuggling leaders. It comprehensively recounts the vantage points from refugees, smugglers, and survivors. Smuggling business, sadly, is not all negative depending on who you ask. It's a worthy book to read in the current migration crisis.

[Samantha Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informing read. I learned something new on every page. The authors write in a tone and style that makes a complex system easy to understand. Anyone interested in or working on immigration policy should read this book.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been on my reading list for forever. The research and perspectives this book offers are eye opening, and I enjoyed reading it. At times, the book was very detailed and it could become a bit dry, but I'm still glad I read it.

[Anni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this was published in 2016, its findings and policy recommendations are still highly relevant. A thoroughly researched book that gave me insights into the regional political and historical contexts of human smuggling I hadn't read anywhere else yet.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The authors provided an interesting and new viewpoint by analyzing the business aspect of assisting migrants to move between countries. However, the book was a bit repetitive.

[Zora O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good survey of

[Adrian Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

The EU claimed conspicuous success over the summer in pursuing a deal with Libyan warlords that brought about a halving of the numbers of people trying to escape the North African country for the safer shores of Europe.

The jostling of Libya’s three rival governments for recognition by European governments and EU authorities doling out large sums of money to anyone who can help ‘solve’ the refugee problem inevitably involves payments, not only to agencies like the national coastguard, but also to the large numbers of powerful militias involved in crime of all sorts, including trafficking and human smuggling. According to the African Arguments website (www.africanarguments.com) these groups are represented in the contesting authorities claiming to be Libya’s legitimate government.

What do human smugglers to when Europe decides to get them onside with bribes of huge amounts cash? Do they release the victims of their trade and let them resume their normal lives? In the African context the answer is no, because there is no normal life in easy reach of people caught up in the tumult of civil upheaval and desperate poverty. All the evidence suggests that the wretched flows of people caught up in this tragedy are diverted into new revenue streams for the militias who control them, including raising ransoms from their families and being subjected to the vilest forms of slavery.

Peter Tinti and Tuesday Reitano have written a book that searches out the place that the movement of vulnerable people has come to play in the politics of our time. Their work looks at the routes that head towards the Mediterranean in two major flows that converge on either to Libyan coast or the shores of the Aegean Sea. In understanding what is going on with all this movement of people they are not content with simplistic sketches which fill the narrative with the sort of monsters reduced to their elemental evilness. In the course of fieldwork that takes the authors across West Africa and the desert regions of Mali and Chad, a picture emerges of societies which have eked out livelihoods which for centuries have involved the movement of people and goods across dangerous terrain.

They describe a ‘hierarchy of trafficked commodities’ which ranks human beings alongside pharmaceuticals and weapons in a trade in which one cross-subsidises the other to make the overall business model viable. As they put it, “… moving migrants was a way of supplementing income on the return leg of journey: a truck carrying subsidised fuel from Algeria to Mali might come back with a couple of West Africans keen to work in the hydrocarbon economies of North Africa.”

In earlier times this activity barely registered as a crime. It became an issue for Europe only after the intervention in the Libyan revolution that toppled Gaddafi in 2011. A system of migration that the Libyan dictator had kept in check fell apart when detention centres holding large numbers of people fell into the hands of militia who set about utilising the imprisoned as unpaid work gangs who were rented out to whoever needed their labour. With profits rolling in from this activity the militias then contracted nomadic Tuareg and Toubou groups to supply fresh cohorts of forced workers from amongst the migrants who were being transported across the country’s border.

Business models that had been in existence for generations were in this way adapted to sustain the livelihoods of the interests and ethnic communities that had once sustained the Gaddafi regime. Migration was by no means suppressed, but rather re-channelled away from the routes that brought sub-Saharan Africans to work in the oil and gas fields and on the giant infrastructure projects that were transforming the desert, and instead moved people towards destinations where they could be shaken down for cash or set to work as labourers or sex slaves.

The EU agreement with the Libyan militias that form the power bases of the rival governments is another version of the earlier deal struck with the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In this instance the political strength of the president has enabled a clampdown on the activities of the smuggling gangs and this is reflected in the lower numbers attempting to enter Europe by that route. But the 3.2 million refugees accommodated in Turkey find themselves in a powder-keg society which might explode at anytime.

The idea that the refugee crisis across the MENA region will be solved by the simple exercise of some determined authority is, as this book shows, a misleading reading of the situation which ignores the deeper realities to be found on the ground. History has shown that the tough approach, whilst enjoying some immediate success, tends to evaporate as events spiral upwards to the next level of crisis.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work provides a fascinating look into the methods, routes, and manner in which refugees and economic migrants leave their counties of origin for Western Europe. It is extensively researched and complemented with anecdotes from both the migrants and those who comprise the network of men and women facilitating their movement.

While I never found myself losing interest, it does at times read a bit like a textbook. The authors, also, for some reason found it necessary to use excessively flowery language on numerous occasions, somewhat distracting me from the point they were trying to make. Again, not unreadable by any means, just mildly annoying. Had they chosen a different editor, their delivery may have been more effective.

[Luba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book explains well the mechanics of human trafficking including different routs and business schemes.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from reading this book. Clearly laid out how formal and informal networks have shaped the movement of so many. An incredibly important read, it should be required reading