Afghans Endure Extreme Peril in Attempts to Reach UK, Facing Deadly Journeys

Azaan sustained a broken arm during his initial attempt to scale the border wall. For numerous Afghans, navigating the 20ft (6m) drop into a broad trench below represents the sole passage from Iran into Turkey, a risk undertaken by hundreds daily. The former Afghan army officer informed the BBC, “I was in severe pain. Several others had broken limbs. The smuggler left us here and told us to run in the direction of the lights of Van city. Many of us were fading out of hunger. I fainted.” The wall, extending approximately 300km (185 miles), was constructed to deter illicit crossings and is continuously monitored by Turkish border forces. Leaping from this barrier marks one of the initial extraordinary hazards Afghan migrants encounter as they traverse continents, nations, and seas to reach the UK and other European countries. Over the past year, escaping their homeland has become more dangerous for Afghans than ever, as Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey have intensified measures against irregular migration from Afghanistan along their frontiers and have also conducted large-scale deportations. Azaan found himself unable to proceed, suffering from pain and having consumed almost no food for days. Smugglers, who demanded nearly $4,000 (£3,150) for the journey to Europe, provided the migrants with only one boiled egg each morning and a cup of rice in the evening. He recounted,