Young Syrians Drown at Sea

Seven bodies have been found in the sea close to the Turkish border and about 20 more people are missing after their boat is believed to have sunk, according to Syrian media reports.



The pro-government website Cham Press reported on October 4 that the dead were young men from Idleb in northwestern Syria , who drowned approximately three weeks ago. The seven bodies were discovered recently but most could no longer be identified.



Naef al-Doj, whose brother is among those missing, told the pro-government website Syria News on October 4 that his brother left Syria along with 27 other young men on September 19, heading for Cyprus. He had not heard from him since.



Cham Press speculated that human trafficking was taking place in Syrian coastal areas and noted that many young men dream of travelling because of the high unemployment rate at home.



According to the website, many young Syrian men get jobs on fishing boats or freighters and jump ship once in Turkish waters, heading for Europe through Turkey or Greece. Syrians pay 75,000 to 100,000 lira, from 1,500 to 2,000 US dollars to the human traffickers, Cham Press said.