http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/09/more-than-1-million-people-have-sought-eu-asylum-so-far-in-2015
The number of people seeking asylum in the EU surpassed 1 million applications in the 11 months to the end of November according to new figures released by Eurostat.
However, the true figure will prove higher given that, among the 28 countries of the EU, Finland is the only country to have provided figures for November to date.
Eurostat also provides figures for four non-EU states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. A further 600,000 people have sought asylum in these four countries so far this year. However, the true figure will again prove to be higher as Norway is the only country to have so far reported to Eurostat in November having received 8,155 in that month alone.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/gangs-from-turkey-benefit-from-human-smuggling-in-mediterranean-eu.aspx?pageID=238&nid=76871&NewsCatID=509
With thousands of sub-Saharan Africans willing to pay as much as 2,000 euros ($2,400) for a spot in an overcrowded dinghy – and wealthier Syrians now barely flinching at shelling out 9,600 euros ($8,000) for a place aboard a rusty cargo ship – criminal gangs from Turkey are homing in on a share of the profits.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/refugee-smuggling-a-big-business-in-the-balkans-a-1051461.html
The trip from Syria to Germany currently costs at least €2,500 per person, with the human smuggling market likely worth several hundred million euros per year. The organization The Migrant's Files, a consortium of journalists from over 15 European countries, estimates that migrants have paid smugglers around €16 billion since the year 2000. Those who profit include recruiters, boat captains, middlemen, people who rent out illegal apartments, scouts and money launderers.
