Illegal migration is an impalpable phenomenon with complicated dimensions. Thousands of people leave their homelands every year due to a number of reasons such as civil wars, terrorism, economic difficulties, and social oppressions. With their flexible modus operandi, migrant smugglers benefit from individuals or groups that wish to immigrate for a more comfortable life. In order to reach a complete perception of illegal migration one needs to draw an accurate profile of migrant smugglers. At this end, data collection from both smugglers as perpetrators and illegal migrants as the object of the smuggling process provides important information for a holistic definition of "smugglers". In this study researchers interviewed 262 illegal migrants and 174 smugglers captured in Istanbul from 2007 to 2013 in order to identify and develop a profile of migrant smugglers and understand the operating methods of illegal migration organizations. The collected data were analyzed and important results on illegal migrant smugglers were reached.

There are many factors that make "illegal migration" become one of the greatest problems of the contemporary world. The most significant ones of these factors are economic inequality, states' incompetence in securing their peoples' lives, political turmoils and acts of violence. No matter they are the source or target countries, all nations are in search of possible national and multinational solutions against the issue of illegal migration, illegal immigrant and refugee that chronically deliver great deal of problems. In conjunction with illegal immigration, another problematic phonemenon is revelaed: Foreign juvenile delinquency. Both illegally entered a country and involved in criminality, foreign juvenile delinquency is like a double edged dagger stabbed in the very heart of metropolitan areas. In this regard, foreign juvenile delinquency can be defined as a social problem which is affected by large-scale social events and transformations such as economic crisis, wars and political conflicts. The aim of this study is to introduce a general profile of the foreign juveniles that entered Turkey either legally or illegally and committed a crime and arrested by law enforcers in Istanbul. Files of 1130 juveniles who committed judicial or administrative crimes are compiled and examined from 2007 to the first four months of 2009.