Illegal migration routes from Syria to Europe interlaced by new communication technolgies through cyber nets

The war commenced in Syria in 2011 has created a massive immigration wave, rarely seen in the world history. Syrian individuals have been migrating from Syria to Europe for "better conditions"; however, this migration makes migrant policies for securing borders become rigid with the concern of changes in their socio-cultural structures. The growing crisis is leading the Syrian to the way of illegal immigration. Thousands of people organized via Facebook gathered together in Edirne on 14 th -15th of September 2015 and demanded to be allowed to pass on Europe by walking throughout Balkans. This has paved the way for a foresight that social media is highly influential in the process of irregular immigration. Thus, this thesis aims to understand how the Syrian individuals, as the main subject of the immigration crisis, from illegal migration routes from their own point of view and the role of social media in this process, and to narrate this process with their own expressions. For this reason, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 26 Syrian immigrants who went through the illegal immigration routes arriving at or captured in Austria and who reside in Austria's Linz city and its surrounding towns. Additionally, the notes of systematic observation were taken. According to the findings, it can be said that social media and sharing networks have created an illegal immigration way in, which the actor, the potential immigrant dominates. The Syrian individual has planned almost every step through cyber nets with a holographic impression on his/her mind before going on the road and has made the illegal immigration way safe for him or herself. Social media is an alternative against the immigrant-bound precondition of network theory. There is also a class evaluation stemming from the findings: This immigration is a middle-class story. All findings were evaluated in terms of the positive and negative effects of the irregular immigration process on the Syrian's life and on the general framework of how the process is carried out. Key Words: Syria, Europe, irregular migration, social media.