Agonies of illegal migrants to Europe through Sahara desert

Agonies of illegal migrants to Europe through Sahara desert

Illegal migration is the crossing of a country's border by a person or a group of people without legal rights of doing so, in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country and with the intention of remaining in the country. African migrants and refugees from West Africa, Somali,  Eritrea, and other countries who do not qualify for European Union entrance visa often cross border illegally by making a perilous journey through the Sahara desert to gain entry to Europe but this is not without consequences. Despite the gory sights of people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, torture, and selling of the migrants into slavery for cheap labour in Libya; most obstinate African youths are bent on embarking on this precarious journey of crossing the desert by foot. Sahara desert is the hottest desert in the world and it is mainly rocky. Within the desert, there are large areas covered with very high sand dunes, dry valleys, and dry lakes.

https://www.iom.int/news/un-migration-agency-chad-appeals-funding-assist-stranded-migrants

Several reasons that lead to an illegal migration including: bad leadership , escaping from poverty, over population, family reunification, conflict, war, and deprivation of citizenship. However, no matter the desperation and despondency; this 50/50 journey of life and death involving lots of agony, intimidation, suffering, and slavery does not worth signing up for. You might not have the best job prospects in your country but remember that your freedom matters a lot. 

Living illegally in another man's country comes with varieties of restrictions such as little or no access to public health systems, education, banks, and proper housing as well as risks of being detained and deported. Other problems faced by illegal migrants include: modern day slavery for cheap labour, prostitution, exploitation, kidnapping and ransom payment, injury, illness, and in some cases death. In 2016, there were approximately 8,000 migrants with 63% of deaths occurring within the Mediterranean sea.  Furthermore, without valid document of any destination country, permission to work becomes impossible in addition to language barrier in some countries hindering gainful employment. 

International Organisation of Migration (IOM) Statistics on migration through the Mediterranean Sea

CNN reported that according to IOM the top arrivals to Italy by sea in 2016 were Nigerians. Below is another report from IOM, March, 2018 which shows the 10 top country nationals arriving by sea disaggregated into adult men and female; accompanied and unaccompanied children.

Data from International Organisation for Migration (IOM), March 2018

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) statistics has shown that migrants come from different parts of Africa mostly West African countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, and others through Libya across Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Migration route through the Sahara desert and its dangers

There are lots of dangers and problems encountered by illegal migrants plying this route. On the road, there can be robbery, violence, motor accident, and sexual abuse for females; while in the desert, the dangers are enormous including death due extreme temperature, dehydration, and starvation. The trafficked with the help of their sponsors make their ways from their respective States within Nigeria to Kano State by road. According to CNN, Edo State is Nigeria's trafficking hub and one of the Africa's largest departure points. The migrants coming from Edo state take off from Auchi park to Kano city, from where they move to Zinder, the second largest town in Niger which is 240km North of Kano then to Agadez, located at the Southern edge of the Sahara desert in North-Central, Niger. In Agadez, they stay for 3 months or more before crossing the lonely desert to Sabha then to Tripoli, both in Libya. After spending several months in Libya, they get on inflatable or wooden boats braving the violent tides of the Mediterranean Sea and sail across to Europe. Different stages of the travel expose the trafficked to series of serious commitments ranging from huge cost of travel expenses to extortion and exploitation which most often lead to loss of lives.

Map from Unicef Child Alert, February 2017

Oath Taking ("Juju" and "Madams" issues)

The female traffickers or sponsors commonly addressed as "madams" require that their victims undergo some oath taking to be assured of them paying off the huge cost on getting to Europe. This eventually turns the victim into the bondage of being a sex slave to their sponsors aka "madams". The victims of this potentially deadly smuggling trade are usually naive, ill-educated or poor people. Human trafficking is an illegal business due to this, the "madams" require that an oath is taken in a "juju" shrine so that the "gods" can revenge if the victim refuses to pay off the debt. "Juju " is an element of African Traditional Religion (ATR) which some people regard as "voodoo" or "black magic". Oath taking requires some rituals  and sacrifices conducted by "Juju priest" in a shrine. These sacrifices are performed using bizarre items such as animal blood, cowries, sometimes body parts of the victims including pubic hairs, nails or strands of hair. Out of desperation, the victims and their families agree with the sponsors to participate in this process that will turn them into sex slaves for their "madams" on getting to Europe. 

Most often the "madams" are old retired prostitutes engaging in this illegal dirty trafficking business of shipping young and underage girls overseas for their own economic gains. They can charge huge amount of money ranging from 35,000 to 45,000 euros (an equivalent of approximately 15 - 19 million Nigerian Naira with an exchange rate of 430 euros to 1 naira) for each person. However, this does not cover for the "pay-as-you-go" expenses incurred during the journey. The trafficking network preys especially on women from the rural side who do not have the money readily available to give to their "madams" but are willing to pay on their arrival to Europe hence the need for the oath taking to avoid debt evasion.

Google photo: Juju priest at a shrine performing rituals

Transit at Agadez

Agadez is widely known as desert highway to Europe and has been a migration hub for centuries. It is also a base for human trafficking in the middle of the Sahara desert and most of its economic activities hinge on illegal activities. In 2016, the government of Niger cracked down on trafficking and smuggling business, making it illegal with 5 years imprisonment. They seized hundreds of migrant trucks and arrested dozens of traffickers. 

As a crucial stop, buses arrive off loading migrants from different countries in Africa. The middle men pick them up from the bus station and send them to houses in ghettos where they wait for a word from their handlers while praying for safe journey. Migrants stay up to 3 months in Agadez before embarking on the perilous journey of crossing the Sahara desert. Accommodation can cost about 10 - 25 CFA monthly to rent a room. The language spoken there is Hausa with French language serving as the official language. Most women take to prostitution to pay for their accommodation and also settle part of their travel cost while others can be abused sexually.  Due to financial pressure, a high percentage of these women engage in unprotected sex thereby risking their lives to contracting Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) and possibly HIV. 

Perilous journey across the Sahara desert

The journey of 1,500 km across one of the harshest environment in the world, crossing desert mountains in the strong desert winds; sometimes the trucks break down in the middle of nowhere with no technician for repairs. It used to be an organised migration on an epic scale with military and police escorts in exchange for money to protect the migrants from bandits and robbers. With government crackdown, soldiers now control Sahara and knowing the springs where the migrants stop and the mountain paths they follow, arresting of migrants becomes easier. Every week, over 2,000 migrants leave Agadez through the desert to Libya. 

The smuggling convoy departs every Monday with 25-35 migrants crammed on the back of pick-up Hilux clinging to sticks to prevent them from falling off. Due to high speeding of these trucks on the bumpy roads of the desert, passengers risk falling off and when this happens, the truck never stops. When there is a breakdown, the migrants and refugees can die as a result of dehydration and hunger. Some drink their urine in a bid to quench their thirst. There are stories of people who lose their lives in the desert due to high temperature and scorching sun. In the bandits' territories,  migrants and refugees can be robbed and women raped. Some drivers can get lost abandoning the migrants and the refugees stranded in the desert. Many young men drive migrants across the desert because of the proceeds and they usually make the cost of their truck after few successful trips.

Google photo: Smuggling convoy

Exploitation in Libya

The migrants and refugees who made it to Libya would end up staying for months or sometimes never made it to their final destination which is Europe. The smugglers further exploited them by making demands of thousands of dollars from them to continue their journey across the Mediterranean Sea. Failure to pay  can land the migrants in the prison without food, sold as labourers in slave auctions, and abused by captors. Due to weak legal system, a lot of illegal business go on in Libya and most often the culprits go unpunished. Some stranded Nigerians are now working as agents or middle men in Libya.

Traumatic crossing of the Mediterranean Sea

Those who are able to pay their way through cram like cargos on fishing boat or inflatable boat also known as dinghy without life jackets, exceeding the capacity of the boat, and sail through the sea towards the coast of Europe. This is just a nightmare; most often the boats capsize and people loose their lives when there is no rescue team around to intervene.This is such a long journey that some ladies give birth to babies en route or on the sea. Some mothers also embark on this journey of searching for the mirage good life together with their children.

Google photo: Crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in inflatable rubber boat

Arrival to Europe coastline

Normally, not all the migrants are assigned with legal documents on arrival. The rescued migrants who made it to the shores of Europe are detained in a camp and interrogated. The process helps to identify and separate the bona fide refugees from the economic migrants. The latter is deported back to their respective countries while the refugees apply for asylum documents; not all acclaimed refugees  qualify for refugees status therefore not everyone gets the valid document. 

Before you jump on the offer of leaving your country; ask questions, dig deeper, and consider carefully the following:

1. What is the point of destabilising your life? It is worth noting that some people achieved their goal of reaching Europe, some bought death with their own money while others spent their hard earned money only for them to get deported to their home country after wasting several years of their life abroad. This is because once your case is decided and you are found not eligible to remain in that country, you must be deported and if you are working illegally, all the proceeds will be seized by the authority. Some people got deported after 5-10 years of wasteful years, lost everything and started afresh.

2. Be careful of job adverts abroad on social media that are too good and juicy to be real such as hair dressing, shop attendants, waiters, and other menial jobs which may sometimes end up as scam on arrival. Lots of girls have received a pair of high heel shoes, revealing dresses, and orders to walk the street; selling their bodies for as low as 10 euros and sleeping in bushes with different kinds of men. The question is how many men do you want to sleep with before you could offset this whooping sum of 35,000 or 45,000 euros? Therefore do not jump on job offers without making detailed investigations and asking questions so that you do not become a victim of forced prostitution.

3. Do not be desperate to leave your country because the precarious crossing of Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea is full of despair, misery, and uncertainties. Some people have lost their lives without reaching their final destinations while some have been auctioned into slavery in Libya facing torture and great suffering.

4. Remember that illegal migration is now criminalised, Niger government has passed a law making Human trafficking illegal. If you have savings, think of a better way to invest your money instead of enriching an idle trafficker as this is a big risk. You might be saying that it worked for your friends, why not you? People are different and will never share their secrets. Stop risking and gambling with your life.

5. Do not listen to anyone giving you an impression that you cannot make in your own country. Some of your relatives and friends living abroad work long hours to pay their bills but they will not share that bit with you rather they only let you know of the rosy part of their lives; how they are enjoying and living luxurious lives.

    

                                                            Drafted by Chikaodili Deng (MPH)

WARNING: Never fall prey or give in to false promises....Money is neither picked from the street nor plucked from a tree....If you want to travel abroad, do that legally using legal documents and also respect immigration rules and laws.