LA WEB DE READING
COMPREHENSION PREFERIDA POR LOS HISPANOHABLANTES
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HUMAN TRAFFIC
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.
2. Only big criminals trade in human traffic.
3. Josip Loncaric worked with Chinese criminals.
4. Loncaric was arrested in 1998.
5. Criminals are caught more easily when countries work
together.
6. "Understand your neighbour". Learning this will help
solve the world's refugee problem.
ACTIVITY 2: COMPLETE THIS PARAGRAPH
USING THE WORDS FROM THE MENUS.
THEN CHECK
YOUR ANSWERS
HERE.
1992, Josip Loncaric started taking
illegal immigrants across the Italian border.
he bought more vehicles.
1994, he was moving 500 people a
week.
Loncaric joined Chinese criminals he
had 200 people working under him. Tomo Fodor worked for Loncaric
gave information to the police.
Loncaric was
arrested in July, 2000.