We’ve talked about how many people make the journey and why. What is the journey like?
DANGEROUS ROUTES WILL NOT STOP THEM
The journey to Europe made by thousands of migrants a year is notoriously rife with challenges and dangers no matter the route taken. However, according to a report by the UN which interviewed 1,970 migrants from 39 African countries in 13 European nations, 93% experienced danger during the journey but only 2% said previous knowledge of this would have prevented them from travelling. So how are migrants travelling to Cyprus and are they going where they hoped they would be?
MANY ACTUALLY MAKE SOME OF IT BY PLANE
A common entry route to Cyprus from countries such as Nigeria, the DCR and Cameroon is by plane via Istanbul to the northern part of Cyprus. These journeys are commonly being made by individuals intending to study at a university in Cyprus and who enter the country on a student visa issued by the Turkish authorities in the Northern part of the island. Some individuals are then smuggled or trafficked over the ‘Green Line’ to the South of the island.
