Northern Syria -

After 3 failed attempts, the Syrian youth, Hassan Al-Mohammed, was able to cross into Turkish territory illegally, where he paid a sum of money that exceeded two thousand US dollars (equivalent to 36,000 Turkish liras) to a human smuggler in the countryside of Idlib, northwest of Syria.

Al-Mohammed, 28, intends to complete his journey from Turkey to the European continent, which has become a major transit gateway for Syrian asylum seekers, at a time when he is trying to catch his breath and prepare for his long journey, which is not without risks and difficulties.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, the young man attributed the reasons for his emigration from the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition to the poor economic conditions experienced by the population, the loss of job opportunities and the high cost of living, pointing out that the wages of his daily work in construction in Syria were barely enough for him to buy bread and some vegetables.

Al-Mohammed believes that the option of emigration has become the only hope for most young men in opposition-controlled areas who dream of a stable life and a secure future, stressing that seven of his friends are accompanying him on this journey towards Europe.

stabilization factors

Talking about the increase in the migration of young people from opposition-controlled areas has become a daily talk among the people, as not a day passes without one of them leaving to Turkey for the migration route, which brings to mind the wave of migration that began in 2015.

A number of people spoke to Al Jazeera Net that the living situation is getting worse day after day, expressing their disappointment in a political solution in Syria and its transformation into a forgotten issue in the accounts of countries and the United Nations.

According to a report by the "Syria Response Coordinators" team, the proportion of families that rely on humanitarian aid only in northwestern Syria rose to 82%, estimating that humanitarian needs in various sectors increased by 16.8% compared to last month, compared to the lack of humanitarian response by 9.1%.

In turn, the Minister of Economy in the Syrian Interim Government, Abdul Hakim al-Masri, considered that the three factors of stability (security, work and education) are not convincing for the population in opposition-controlled areas, so we find Syrians migrating in search of work, completing education and achieving security.

Al-Masry said - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that the opposition-controlled areas are still suffering from targeting and bombing by the Syrian regime forces and Russia, except for the bombings that hit the cities, which also pushes the population to migrate.

Refugees face great risks on the asylum journey, most notably being stranded and cut off from food and water (Al-Jazeera)

refugee journalist

On the other side of the border, Syrian journalist Ahmed Elyan, formerly residing in Turkey, succeeded in reaching Germany after a arduous 15-day journey, which started from western Turkey on foot, before boarding a small rubber boat known as "minus" to cross the Evros River separating between Turkish and Greek lands.

Olayyan recounts how he was stranded in the Greek Ariana Mountains for 3 days without food or drink, and with his group that accompanied him on his asylum trip, he was forced to drink stagnant water and eat the fruits of wild trees to survive.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Alyan confirmed that the most dangerous thing about the trip - in addition to the difficulties of the road and the loss of food - is the discovery of the issue of migrants from the border guards, especially in Greece, where the effort of the trip is wasted in the event of the refugees being returned to Turkey.

On the motives for the departure of the Syrian journalist from Turkey, he stressed that it was his desire to reunite his family and meet his brothers after diaspora and separation that lasted more than 7 years, pointing to the recent instability in Turkey in terms of work, and the growing racism by some towards refugees.

Alyan describes what he witnessed as a new wave of Syrian immigration in the truest sense of the word, referring to most of the immigrants who encountered young men in their twenties, including those who came from areas controlled by the regime and others from areas controlled by the opposition and SDF ("Syrian Democratic Forces").

Record

The official figures - which countries of transit and asylum are talking about - reflect the large size of a new wave of migration, of which Syrians make up a large part.

The German "Bild" said that the number of unauthorized entry of asylum seekers - across the Czech border into Germany - has reached a record.

The newspaper quoted the Federal Police as having identified about 2,000 unauthorized entries last June, an increase of 140 percent compared to the previous year, according to a confidential immigration report by the federal government.

She also pointed out that more than 3,000 unauthorized entries were counted during August, on the Czech border with Saxony alone, explaining that most of the refugees are Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis, from the Czech border with Saxony alone.

In turn, Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarakhi announced last Sunday that his country has prevented more than 150,000 irregular migrants from entering its land and sea borders since the beginning of the year.

"154,102 illegal immigrants have been denied entry since the beginning of the year, and 50,000 tried to enter Greece in August alone," Mitarachi told Elefteros Tepos newspaper.