Orly Borges Personal Collection

The refugee problem is here to stay.

For the world’s refugees and asylum seekers, it is a message of hope. For criminals that agree to take them to a new country, it’s big business. Thousands of people are promised a better life in the rich countries of the west. But many die on terrible journeys. Things are not much better for those that arrive. How can the west fight the criminals and help the refugees? There are no easy answers. One of the problems is the large number of people moving illegal immigrants. And they are not all big criminals. Time and a vehicle are the only things anyone needs to make money in this way.

The story of Josip Loncaric is a good example. Loncaric was a Croatian taxi driver. He started taking cheap fruit and vegetables to the Italian border. When war came to Yugoslavia, Loncaric preferred taking refugees. He earned good money and bought more vehicles. Soon, he was transporting over five hundred refugees a week to the Italian border. When Chinese criminals also began moving refugees into Europe through Trieste, Loncaric joined them. He now had 200 people working for him. They brought illegal immigrants into Europe from all over the world. Loncaric grew rich.

His luck changed in 1998. The police in Italy, Slovenia and Britain decided to work together. They listened to Loncaric’s telephone conversations, and sent special officers to watch him. Then one of Loncaric’s workers, Tomo Fodor, agreed to help them. Finally, in July 2000, Loncaric was arrested. His business of making money from refugees was over.

This is only one success story. Hundreds of other criminals are still moving refugees. But the story shows what can be done when countries join together to stop the terrible trade in human traffic. Early this year, Italy and the UK decided to work together in a number of ways. They agreed to exchange information, to plan police operations between the two countries, to punish criminals more than before, and to help refugees return to their own countries.

This last point is perhaps the most important of all. The real answer to the refugee problem lies in helping to make their home countries safe again. But the message is the same: learn to live with your neighbour. Until the world understands this, the refugee problem will be here to stay.

And now show your reading comprehension skills doing these two exercises.

ACTIVITY 1: TRUE OR FALSE? THEN CHECK YOUR ANSWERS HERE.

1. Many refugees die while moving to a new country. – TRUE FALSE
2. Only big criminals trade in human traffic. – TRUE FALSE
3. Josip Loncaric worked with Chinese criminals. – TRUE FALSE
4. Loncaric was arrested in 1998. – TRUE FALSE
5. Criminals are caught more easily when countries work together. – TRUE FALSE
6. "Understand your neighbour". Learning this will help solve the world's refugee problem. – TRUE FALSE

ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETE THIS PARAGRAPH USING THE WORDS FROM THE MENUS. THEN CHECK YOUR ANSWERS HERE.

– BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN 1992, Josip Loncaric started taking illegal immigrants across the Italian border. – BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN he bought more vehicles. – BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN 1994, he was moving 500 people a week. – BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN Loncaric joined Chinese criminals he had 200 people working under him. Tomo Fodor worked for Loncaric – BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN gave information to the police. Loncaric was – BY BUT FINALLY IN SOON WHEN arrested in July, 2000.

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