Smuggling into Europe: Transit Migrants in Greece

Abstract

The paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the overlapping fields of smuggling and asylum, and address the less studied condition of ‘transit migration’. Based on a case study of Kurds in Greece, the paper describes the organization of the journey and the process of temporary and permanent settlement. Greece is currently one of the main entry points to Europe for migrants coming from the Middle East. In the absence of legal entry paths, almost all migrants arrive in Greece illegally. Many see Greece as the passage to Western Europe, and therefore do not apply for asylum but remain undocumented in the country for a couple of years. Some eventually leave the country, while others end up staying permanently. The paper explores the reasons behind the phenomenon of transit migration and its consequences for the migrants, the country and the EU.