Spotlight: Syrian "vagabonds" share experience of reaching Europe on Facebook

A Facebook page now becomes a beacon for tens of thousands of Syrians who want to take the risky trip to Europe and seek refuge in that old continent.

Karajat al-Mshantatine, or the bus stop of vagabonds, is a Facebook page created by a group of Syrian activists, who have already made it to Europe, with the aim of helping and advising those willing to take the illegal long, winding road and what is known as the "death boats" to Europe.

As the page has already gained over 111,000 followers, its administrators say their only aim is to help their fellow "vagabond" Syrians.

The number of the page's members is increasing with the growing number of refuge seekers, who are from a wide range of ages and professions, from students to engineers, designers and journalists.

"This group is to help the people who have suffered in the woods and seas, who have been deceived by smugglers and human traffickers in their quest to find a place to seek refuge at and live a decent life. We are here to help the people avoid the bad human traffickers," the page administrators say.

They say they will not discuss the reasons that pushed the people to flee Syria because the reasons are "well known."

The page provides information on the best routes the Syrians can take to reach to their desired destination in Europe. It also sends risk warnings about the bad roads or smugglers who have turned out to be swindlers. Its administrators say they have an emergency team available around the clock to receive distress calls from those who are either drowning or lost.

In a file that was uploaded onto the page last July, a detailed plan from Syria to Germany was mapped out, as most of the asylum seekers are largely single-minded on heading to Germany due to the plenty of facilitations for the refugees coming from Syria and Iraq.

"There are many ways to travel from Syria to one of the European countries. Here we will talk briefly about some routes and focus primarily on the road through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Austria and finally Germany," the file intro said.

Those who have reached Europe also share their experiences on the page, posting photos of the camps they are staying at and how they are coping with their new life. Most of them admit that the page was useful in helping people getting to Europe.

The most actively shared posts on the page are those with pictures of people who have gone missing on the way to Europe or GPS coordinates of drowning rubber boats. Once receiving a distress call, the page's administrators contact the coast guards of either Turkey or Greece and report the drowning boat.

Media reports say the page has actually saved many lives.

Hind Raji, a Syrian woman who has sought refuge in Holland, says that the tips and guidelines provided by the page have helped her and her 10-year-old son getting to safety.

"Honestly, the page has an undeniable role in getting me safe to Europe. I was in a boat with my son, and the rubber boat started sinking off the Greek coast. I sent a distress call to the page and they have contacted the coast guards and sent us maps to guide us because we were lost as well," Raji told the Etihad Press news website.

Ahmad Deeb, a Syrian from Aleppo province, posted a selfie on the page Monday, saying he has finally reached Germany after 30 strenuous days. The 22-year-old warned other would-be refugees of the smugglers.

"The smugglers are all liars. I have spent 18 days in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir and got to know all of the smugglers and finally discovered that they are connected to a network of human traffickers," he said.

Aside from the smugglers, pictures of the missing people are widely shared by either relatives or friends.

A woman named Laila Saidan posted a photo of her nephew, Mohammad Hammoudeh, who she said was gone missing last week in Turkey.

"Please I am searching for my nephew. He has been missing since seven days ago in Izmir and we lost contact with him," she posted.

With a considerable number of people get lost, or drown, the page also share best GPS mobile apps and ways to protect the smart phones, while taking the sea trip.

From viewing the posts of the newcomers to Europe, the people's desire to blend in is palpable. Many also urge their fellow countrymen to adapt to the new life.

One of the members shared a capture from a German textbook, in which a lesson of sexual intercourse was explained.

"Do you want your kids to grow up in Germany and getting exposed to such a knowledge?" the man asked.

A considerable number of responses came against him, telling him that "If you don't like their lifestyle, return to wherever you came from."

The page administrators, while boosting the number of members, said they wish they could close the page soon, "once our homelessness ends." Endit