38 Kurdish immigrants arrested by Italian police

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Italian police have arrested 38 Kurdish immigrants upon their arrival to Italy from Turkey.

In the past two days, 38 Kurdish immigrants from the Kurdistan Region were arrested by Italian police in the city of Bari planning to reach Italy illegally and then travel to other European countries.

Kurdistan24 understands that among the 38 arrested Kurds, 10 were men, 11 women, and 17 children who arrived on Italian shores from Turkey by boats.

According to the information obtained by Kurdistan24, each of the immigrants paid USD $10,000 to the smugglers to transport them from Turkey to Europe.

Although the influx of refugees to Europe has dramatically decreased in the past few months, people from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the Middle East often migrate to Europe.

Many immigrants face death while traveling through the sea, and some get exploited by smugglers.

In early 2016, over 40 Kurdish refugees perished in the Aegean Sea as their boat capsized while the refugees were attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece.

Most of the victims were from Raniya, Qaladze, and Koya in the Sulaimani province, and the rest were from different areas of Erbil and Dohuk Provinces.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany