ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A growing number of young people from the Raparin administration in Sulaimani province are turning to the perilous Libya-Italy sea route to reach Europe, with some reportedly paying smugglers up to $17,000 each. Rudaw has learned that the main smuggling network is allegedly led by a Kurd from Raparin, currently operating out of Libya.
Ranj Pishdari, a Europe-based migrant rights activist, told Rudaw that more than 300 young people from Pishdar district and surrounding areas in eastern Raparin are leaving each week. The Libya-Italy route has become the preferred path over the more traditional Turkey-Greece corridor due to increased border restrictions and longer crossing times.
“Most migrants now go through Libya,” Pishdari said. “From there, they head across the Mediterranean to Italy. It’s become the preferred route despite the risks.”
Bakr Ali, head of the Association of Returned Refugees (ARR), also told Rudaw that the Libya-Italy route has become more appealing because the sea crossing takes roughly eight hours - significantly shorter than the 72-hour journey from Greece.
“Smugglers charge nearly $17,000 per person, and not all of that goes directly to them,” Ali told Rudaw, adding that a significant portion of the money is paid to Libyan militia groups who control the coast and do not allow any migrants to depart without payment.
According to information obtained by Rudaw, one of the most influential smugglers currently operating in Libya is a Kurd originally from Raparin, identified by the initials H.K. Though based in Europe, he has temporarily relocated to Libya to oversee smuggling operations and organize sea crossings for Kurdish migrants.
District officials and civil society groups in Raparin have described the migration trend as an “exodus,” highlighting the scale of the issue. Pishdar district mayor Bakr Bayiz warned, “If this continues, Pishdar will become a place only for the elderly.”
The migration wave from Qaladze - the administrative center and capital of Pishdar - and other areas in the district is largely fueled by high unemployment and limited economic opportunities, despite the region’s agricultural potential.
The Kurdistan Region has witnessed repeated waves of youth migration over the past decade, largely driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities abroad.
Soran Hussein contributed to this report.
