article_snippet.sent: Malakooti has recently visited seven countries, including Libya, Tunisia and Morocco to update Malakooti study.
article_snippet.sent: The "push factor" is much greater than the "pull" of Europe, Malakooti says.
article_snippet.sent: Another disturbing phenomenon, according to Malakooti, is the trafficking of African women for prostitution to Italy through Libya.
article_snippet.sent: A crackdown in 2013 on organized convoys leaving Agadez stemmed the flow for a while, but gangs from the Toubou tribe, which controls the cross-border trade, developed new routes and raised their prices.
article_snippet.sent: Malakooti believes this is a major factor in the rising numbers trying to reach Europe.
article_snippet.sent: Initially, they remained in Lebanon, Jordan and other neighboring countries to wait out the conflict," says Malakooti.
article_snippet.sent: Malakooti detects a changing pattern since the Syrian conflict began.
article_snippet.sent: Malakooti has injected more money into the smuggling business, which has therefore become more organized.