An investigation by The National has uncovered an Iraqi-Kurdish town which is a hub for people smuggling, where gang leaders make a fortune from the misery of people desperate for a new life in Europe.

Deals are carried out in plain sight in Ranya, where the hawala money exchanges are used to grease the criminal enterprise.

Our reporters took just a few minutes to track down smugglers willing to arrange for families to be transported across borders, using fake IDs, to reach northern France where they would risk their lives crossing the English Channel in flimsy dinghies. At least 77 people died making the crossing last year alone.

Using court records, interviews with experts and speaking to victims, we were able to find the headquarters of a mastermind smuggler called Bakhtiar, known as “the boss” by his henchmen and those who rely on him to secure a spot on the deathtrap boats.

But Bakhtiar has gone into hiding, spooked by a recent crackdown by UK and Iraqi Kurdistan authorities who are belatedly trying to get a grip of the situation which has seen tens of thousands reach the UK illegally.

The crackdown has also seen success in Britain, where two Kurds were jailed after they were caught operating a car wash in South Wales that was a front for a people smuggling business.

We also heard the plight of a 15-year-old girl from Kurdistan who has spent months trying to reach her cousins in England. She has tried six times to make the crossing, foiled each time by police, violent gangs and even by a panic attack brought on by almost drowning during her journey. She reveals how the people smuggling system works, what life is like for a migrant living in makeshift camps in France, and why she is willing to risk it all to get to Britain.

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