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Anastasia Balezdrova

The European authorities have reported an increased refugee flood from Afghanistan in recent weeks, which is particularly concerning the German secret service BND, according to which the increased refugee flood proves the existence of an extremely well organized global network of human trafficking, as stated in an article by Deutsche Welle journalist Irini Anastassopoulou.

During a symposium in Berlin, which was closed for the public, Director Gerhard Schindler said that the network had professional structures at a high level and acted not only in Turkey, Greece and Italy but also in France. The investigations of the German secret services had explored the structures developed by traffickers along both the routes followed by refugees and the paths of money. "A process of political stagnation and economic decline is beginning in Afghanistan while the Taliban are continuously expanding their territories," Schindler warned.

"In all outbreaks of crises such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Somalia different groups, militants and terrorist groups are benefiting from these situations," he added. Indicative is the fact that, due to political instability in Afghanistan and the increasing refugee flood, the German and US governments and their other partners are planning to extend the stay of their military units in the country.

The increase in the number of refugees and migrants from Afghanistan began in the summer. A few days ago, GRReporter again talked with a young man from Afghanistan who said that together with his companions he arrived in Greece for 40 days. "From Afghanistan we went to Iran. We walked in mountainous regions, where thieves robbed us. The police mistreated us. Then we crossed the border with Turkey, where border police received us in a similarly bad way, with insults and beatings. We went to Istanbul but the authorities there told us that we should go to the UN office in Ankara to be issued a document. We did so and then we got to the sea and went by boat to the island of Lesbos." In almost perfect English 25-year-old Mohammed explained that he had almost no money left after the long trip and the robberies in Iran and Turkey. "I called my family in Afghanistan to send me money to go to Germany. I know that the trip to Germany is not easy but I personally heard the statements of Angela Merkel on television that Germany would accept refugees."

He said he had graduated in political science and his dream was to become a diplomat. "In Afghanistan, I cannot find a job. To be able to work in something you have to be associated with a party. But "party" there means something quite different from the political parties in Europe," he said.

The symposium in Berlin made a sober assessment of the international community actions against the terrorist organization Islamic State, as defined by the journalist. Despite the bombing, the Caliphate that the terrorist group has established in regions in northern Iraq and Syria has already acquired state structures. "Emirs have undertaken to govern the regions, imposing their power with firmness, violence and inhumane methods," stated Gerhard Schindler. He also said that the whole system was based on a strictly organized military structure that was locally guarded by military units that included jihadists from around the world, 700 men and women of them being from Germany alone. According to his estimates, over 3,500 young people in total have left Western Europe to fight on the side of the Islamic State.

In parallel, the German secret services warned of emerging nationalist attitudes in developing countries in Asia. "In China, Russia and India, the nationalist, populists, are gaining more supporters, strengthening their positions in national politics, declaring their presence outside their countries with increasing confidence. These new powerful factors follow principles that oppose the West," Schindler warned.