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emre caylak

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Muhammed, a people smuggler, and his safe house

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Location: Turkey / Ukraine

Nationality: Turkish,

Biography: Emre Caylak is a Turkish photographer whose work focuses on human rights and environmental issues. Since January 2022, he has been covering the war in Ukraine and the cost of the conflict on civilian populations. He has also worked investigating... MORE

Muhammed made the long journey ...ld go home,” he said.

1 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Muhammed made the long journey from Afghanistan to Turkey, spirited across borders by smugglers, including one he came to know as Murtaza.

Now, as the thousands of Afghans flee Taliban rule and try to find havens across the region, Mohammed is himself working as a smuggler on Turkey’s eastern border, alongside Murtaza.

He remains an undocumented migrant in Turkey. In a country already teeming with refugees and plagued by an economic downturn, he says his employment options are limited. He’s trying to save money to start a life elsewhere in Europe, and he also supports his family in Afghanistan.

“It’s not a good job, but I really want to help people. I would prefer it if Afghanistan were to become safe. Then I would have no business, but I could go home,” he said.

Hamid, 26, Mariam, 22, posing f...board a bus to western Turkey.

2 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Hamid, 26, Mariam, 22, posing for a picture in the smuggler's safe house. They first fled Afghanistan to Iran, before heading to Turkey because her three children "had no future" as they were not eligible to go to school there. Along the way, they met a few smugglers.

"it's normal for smugglers to take your money and lie to you and there is nothing you can do," she and her husband said in Van, eastern Turkey while waiting for a smuggler to return with fake documents so they could move onto İzmir.

For the first 10 days they were not allowed to leave the safe house in Van, were given only bread and tomatoes to eat and they were crowded in with young men so couldn't sleep at night.

Mariam studied to be a dentist before it became too hard for her to continue due to security and economic problems. Far fewer women take the migrant route due to strict social conventions in Afghanistan, but those that do face extreme hardship.

That evening, the family were detained by police while trying to board a bus to western Turkey.

Mariam, 22, first fled Afghanis...board a bus to western Turkey.

3 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Mariam, 22, first fled Afghanistan with her family to Iran, before heading to Turkey because her three children "had no future" as they were not eligible to go to school there.

"it's normal for smugglers to take your money and lie to you and there is nothing you can do," her and her husband said in Van, eastern Turkey, while waiting for a smuggler to return with fake documents so they could move onto İzmir.

For the first 10 days they were not allowed to leave the safe house in Van, were given only bread and tomatoes to eat and they were crowded in with young men so couldn't sleep at night.

Mariam studied to be a dentist before it became too hard for her to continue due to security and economic problems. Far fewer women take the migrant route due to strict social conventions in Afghanistan, but those that do face extreme hardship.

That evening, the family were detained by police while trying to board a bus to western Turkey.

Muhammed,21, a smuggler in his ...tner Murtaza. Van , Turkey 2021

4 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Muhammed,21, a smuggler in his safe house with his working partner Murtaza. Van , Turkey 2021

Undocumented Afghan migrants wa...around Turkey. Van, Turkey 2021

5 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Undocumented Afghan migrants waiting in smuggler's safe house to be transported to various cities around Turkey. Van, Turkey 2021

Durdane (65) with her family si...Durdane says. Van, Turkey 2021.

6 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Durdane (65) with her family sits in a sofa in a smugglers house in the central of Van, Turkey 2021. She lost her husband in a suicide bomb organized by the Taliban five years ago. He was in his way to his house after work. Durdane had a heart attack when she learned about the accident. They had to go to Tehran, Iran for the treatments. But now, they aren't able to pay her medical expenses that all the family decided to come to Turkey. Her son and also grandson carried her during the crossing for days. Now, they have managed to come to the smugglers house but the family had no money to move forward. Their plan is to find a job in Van and save some money. Hoping that they can manage to go to Germany from here. “ Germany has a better medicines” Durdane says. Van, Turkey 2021.

Durdane (65) with her family si...Durdane says. Van, Turkey 2021.

7 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Durdane (65) with her family sits in a sofa in a smugglers house in the central of Van, Turkey 2021. She lost her husband in a suicide bomb organized by the Taliban five years ago. He was in his way to his house after work. Durdane had a heart attack when she learned about the accident. They had to go to Tehran, Iran for the treatments. But now, they aren't able to pay her medical expenses that all the family decided to come to Turkey. Her son and also grandson carried her during the crossing for days. Now, they have managed to come to the smugglers house but the family had no money to move forward. Their plan is to find a job in Van and save some money. Hoping that they can manage to go to Germany from here. “ Germany has a better medicines” Durdane says. Van, Turkey 2021.

Muhammed, a people smuggler, and his safe house

8 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

Muhammed, a people smuggler, and his safe house

9 of 9 © 2024 Emre Caylak

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Muhammed, a people smuggler, and his safe house

Copyright emre caylak 2024

Updated Sep 2021

Topics Afghanistan, Ethnic minorities, Journalism, mass displacement, Migration, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Reporting, Taliban, Turkey, Undocumented, Van, War and its effects

Thousands of people have been displaced in Afghanistan due to the US pullout and subsequent Taliban takeover, with the UN warning that as many as half a million could try to flee before the end of the year.

Before the fall of Kabul, between 1,000 and 2,000 Afghans, a day were thought to be arriving in Turkey, thought of as the gateway to Europe. The route takes as long as three months via Iran or Iran and Pakistan often by foot. Some die from the harsh conditions, others are robbed on the way or beaten by border guards, yet a few make it into Turkey.

Mohammed, 21, an undocumented Afghan himself, is a people smuggler who helps Afghans enter Turkey near the city of Van in the east.

I followed him as he uses fake documents to try to buy travel tickets to transport a newly arrived family to western Turkey also spoke to one of the families he is helping to smuggle about why they fled Afghanistan and what life was like under the Taliban.

Many of the migrants who arrive in Turkey are keen to move onto Europe. I also visited a house in Istanbul where 12 undocumented Afghan men live to speak about why they don’t want to stay in Turkey – they are scared they will be caught by police and sent home.

Turkey 2021

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