23 Afghans rescued from smugglers near Peru-Brazil border

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): Nearly two dozen Afghan citizens have been rescued from human traffickers near Brazil border, an official said on Monday.

The 23 Afghan migrants, trying to reach Ecuador, paid   human smugglers for transporting them across the country and to its northern border, Peru’s prosecutor said on Sunday.

But they were cheated out of their money and crowded into a house without food in the Inapari village of Madre De Dios Department along the Peru-Brazil border.

Among the victims were four children, including a two-month-old baby, the statement said. However, the prosecutor did not say how ,amy refugees had paid smugglers.

The Afghans were led to believe they would be transferred to a regional city, then to the capital Lima and finally to Ecuador.

Although the statement did not specify which country was the final destination of the Afghans refugees, most of them want to reach America and Canada.

Since last one year, hundreds of Afghans have found their way to Brazil on humanitarian visas. They have since been trying to reach north America from there.

A number of these Afghans have entered America after passing through 11 Latin countries and facing risk of kidnapping, robbery and armed attacks. However, they are now facing an uncertain future in the US.

kk/sa/mud