Refugees

The village of smugglers waiting on customers

The traffickers on the Balkan route to celebrate their Comeback. How the network of smugglers, the helpers and the corrupted police officers, the Macedonian Lojane significantly. DW-Reporter Nemanja Rujević was there.

No sign with a place name, the village of Lojane would announce. That one arrived, one recognizes clearly the fact that at almost every street light an Albanian flag flying. The black double-headed eagle from sunshine exposure, and by the Wind, jagged – lead up to the place, and the Locals probably the “center” would call. It is the intersection of the only two paved roads, where there is a shop and two Smoking tea houses. Over all this towers the elfenbeinweiße minaret of the local mosque in the height. It is quiet here. The silence is only of a cock disturbed, just before the hens, his manhood would prove.

“Here, there is anyway nothing to do,” complains a powerfully built guy, with his friends in front of the teahouse bored. And just because, he says, because here is nothing to do, his village in Europe known as the “village of the tug boat” directly to the Macedonian-Serbian border. Here are the illegal migrants hinkutschiert, to stay, and then towards Western Europe likely to be. A place to sleep, want a ten Euro per night costs, a night in the barn can be had for a fiver. “Look, it’s not like what the media write. Here we have just a couple of Moroccans. And that was it then also already,” says Strong. “Nights offer only those who have nothing else to eat would have. The crop was terrible because of the drought.”

“Hello, how’s it going?”

That the area was destitute and by the Macedonian state is neglected, is good to acknowledge the simple houses and the muddy streets, the almost only with the tractor to drive on. Here live only Albanians, just like on the other side of the border, in the nearby Serbian villages. Although there are also some thick BMW and Audi to see, and here and there, large and gaudy houses on the hills. But are not generated, but in Switzerland, Austria or Germany. The guest workers to invest here, as on the whole of the Balkans is usual like in several stories, colorful facades and Gipslöwen. About 40 percent of the three thousand residents of Lojane work abroad.

“My brother is in Switzerland,” says the President of the village, Selami Memeti. Probably that is why he answers to phone call in German: “Hello, how’s it going?” But his vocabulary is already exhausted and Memeti switches back to the Albanian. “I swear it to you, we on the Balkans are much smarter than those in the West. But they are better organized and may work. We like intrigue.” And “there” in the capital Skopje and they stole a lot from the people, therefore, are also his neighbors here in the North so besitzlos. Dozens sat or are sitting in prison because they are migrants, hosts, or over the green line. “I understand that something be a punishable offence. But here, ordinary people are arrested and the organised crime continues”, says Memeti.

Selami Memeti – the “village chief”

The big bosses are not Albanians, but came from the same countries as the refugees and migrants. An observation Memetis, the helpers and refugees at the Greek-Macedonian border to confirm. From an axis from Thessaloniki to Scandinavia is the speech. For ten years already is the Migrationsstrom also here in Lojane to watch. Off we went, when the first Afghans onto the path. A highlight of the village some months ago, seen as Serbia, the border still officially controlled and the Balkan route is still not a beaten path. “We had over a thousand migrants here,” says Memeti. They are free through the village is gone and in cafes herumgesessen. “The Locals never had problems with those. But fighting each other, the comers constantly, mostly with Traffickers, who deceive them. Then access even to the knives, there are seriously injured.”

Route of the “fragile democracy“

The Macedonian authorities present themselves powerless – often leave the smugglers in peace, just like the Illegal, once you put it into the Landinnere have done. “They are like ghosts, like invisible people. The authorities know that you exist, want this but not publicly admit it”, wrote recently the up high-volume sheet Večer.

A high-ranking Regierungsinsider reported that leading politicians and the Chefebene the police their share of the Schleppergeschäft. “Raids in villages such as Lojane are very rare and happen mostly after a report in the Western media. Because the EU does of Macedonia, as it would the smugglers of human beings to seriously fight,” said the expert, who wishes to remain anonymous, compared to the DW. It is known that the native helpers of the traffickers their fees via money transfer, but not do something about it. The same happens in Greece, or Serbia – the Schleuserroute is only through these “countries in the fragile democracy”.

The dirty Business is currently experiencing a Renaissance: Since November in Macedonia and the following countries of the Route only Syrians, Iraqis and the Afghans to pass through, all others are considered as economic refugees. Thus, about travellers from the countries of the Maghreb and Pakistan only two options to get to Western Europe: in Athens fake travel documents to get or the green border, with or without the help of Traffickers. As a helper on the ground testify that advertise the smugglers their clients in refugee camps or in the Greek petrol stations, where the refugees stranded. For the business of the Criminals are also the legends useful, is already present in Greece to spread: the fact that Macedonian police brutality, and even on those shoot, from Greece through forests and fields into the country to sneak in.

A meeting place for refugees

“The police officers are actually okay. If you give us notice, say you only: Stop police, no problem. And throw us out”, says a young Algerian. He is part of a larger group of its Landesleute on the road and is just on the restaurant terrace of the hotel “Hara”. The services of the Greek Motels, only a few hundred meters from the Macedonian border, among North Africans spread. Here you can cheap sleep and again his luck with the inattentiveness of the Macedonian border guard try. “We have already three Times caught,” said the Algerian, his name will not name. Several offers of Traffickers, he had already received. For 800 euros, they promise a free ride through Macedonia. A few Times want to the young man there on his own fist to try – then he wants maybe a smuggler afford.

Fear for the girl

The shrill voice of the Muezzins calling to the noon prayer in Lojane. In the small teahouse moving but no one Religion is here not taken as seriously. The Gemeindechef Selami Memeti lights another cigarette and throws the empty box on the table. A chain smoker, that shows the yellow that has become mustache. “The migrants will stay here for a day, a week, or even longer – but in the end it manages to be each, to get through. The police are happy to accept bribes. This is in the us and in Serbia too normal.”

Memeti has also of the of Hungary gift of barbed wire belongs, the Macedonian Ordnungshütter diligently on the border of Greece to pull up. The “critical areas” first, as it is officially called. The village chief fears that the country is on a Wink from Brussels towards completely locking and all the refugees could stop. In this case would be the illegal streams is even stronger. “Then it will be here with us fully.” The residents of Lojane would have even more mattresses get. This possible employment programme but is pleased Memeti, absolutely not. “God knows how long, these people will not have bathed, and whether you have any diseases bring. In addition, we have fear for our girls.“ From the new year’s eve in Cologne, he had read, of course.