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Finding a route across the channel is as easy as typing “smuggler” into Facebook.
Far from being a hidden world, Sky News has found that a network of smugglers is operating openly on the social media platform.
Routes into Europe and the UK are regularly highlighted, with posts featuring images of the Union Jack and Big Ben.
One smuggler even claimed he would be able to make customers a British passport.
It comes as 27 people died while attempting to cross the Channel, one of the worst death tolls in recent years.
Many who attempt the crossing come from counties including Iran, Syria and Iraq, with high numbers of Iraqi Kurds attempting to make the dangerous journey.
Sky News searched Facebook for terms written in Kurdish and Arabic such as “smuggler” and “UK visa”, as well as locations such as Calais, Dunkirk and England.
These results brought up smugglers advertising the routes, listing their phone numbers and inviting people to message them privately for more information, such as costs.
There is no suggestion Facebook is taking any revenue for the content.
This post claims customers will be able to legally travel into the UK within three days and that the journey will be done in the “best, safest and easiest way”.
Smugglers are posting adverts on Facebook, such as this one which provides a phone number
One of the most prolific smugglers posting onto Facebook is a man who says he lives in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
He claims to be able to get migrants into a number of countries, including the UK. In this advert he promotes a route from Dunkirk to the United Kingdom at “a reasonable price”.
This advert,…
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Source : skynews
