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| Some dead migrants buried |
According to him, he is happy to be home after spending 13 years of his youthful life in Libya trying to enter Europe.
Before embarking on the journey, Mohammed owned a barbering shop. He noted that business was really good, but was led by his colleagues into believe that there were greener pastures in Europe.
As he recounts his story, he stated that he would not go back through illegal means, but upon carefully examining his thoughts, it appeared that should the opportunity avail itself, he might consider going using the same illegal means as the economic situation in Ghana does not seem to be favourable to him.
“I don’t regret returning to Ghana but I regret because I don’t see any improvement in my life. But I feel I can make it”. Even if I want to travel, I would go by regular means. I have suffered a lot through illegal migration and I must say that the suffering in Ghana is even more than what I went through in Libya. Everything I get is just hand to mouth. Sometimes I starve just to save something little”, Mohammed lamented.
He was influenced by his colleagues in Makaranta (an Islamic School) as some of them had travelled to Europe through Libya and were making it.
He left Ghana on 11th November, 1994 with US$300 in hand together with three of his colleagues. “My money was enough to the extent that I was able to assist some of my colleagues during the journey”, Mohammed said.
According to him, they passed through Kumasi, Bawku, Burkina Faso before getting to Niger where the dangerous journey began.
They stayed in the Nigerien city of Agadez for two months before continuing the journey. This, he said was because they wanted to use the safer side of the journey.
Mohammed stated that there are two routes leading to the Libyan Desert. The eastern side leads to Dirkou – which is much safer, whiles the western route leads to Arilit, through Mount Hogar.
Passing through Arilit through Mount Hogar means that one must walk for at least four days, carrying gallons of water mixed with paracetamol, food, and the ability to withstand the scorching sun before entering the Libyan Desert territory. He noted that this path is much economical for many migrants, but very tough.
This was the reason Mohammed and his colleagues spent two months in Agadez because using this route could be challenging.
Dirkou route is much safer. Vehicles ply the route, but it takes a while before the vehicles arrive in Niger. When the vehicles finally came, the number of migrants making the journey far exceeded the vehicles. It was then that they had to make their way into them by struggling to get a place to sit.
He and his colleagues separated as they boarded separate vehicles. However, Mohammed had to spend four days out of the one week journey starving because the food they were carrying was in another car with his colleagues. He lamented it was a very difficult journey.
However, more sufferings were yet to come. When they finally arrived in the Libyan Desert territory, Mohammed was part of the migrants who were arrested and subsequently had his passport seized by Libyan security patrolling the desert.
“In prison, you don’t fight for your passport, but your life”, Mohammed narrated. He spent three months in prison. He was later released after he had paid $100 but his passport was not given to him.
He made his way into Benghazi, Libya’s second largest city and spent two years as a barber. According to him, business flourished and he was able to send money home.
He later moved to the capital city of Tripoli and spent one year and two months. There, he did menial jobs such as plastering, houseboy, construction and others to save in order to pursue his vision of travelling to Europe.
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| Some migrants making the desperate journey |
However, the $1,200 they paid for the trip was wasted as the Libyan Navy patrolling the Mediterranean sea arrested them. “We were on our way to Italy but still in Libyan zone when we were arrested. All the 17 migrants on board paid $300 before we were released”, he stated.
After this unfortunate incident, he made his way to the village of Murzuk. Mohammed spent six months working in a gas project desert field. He returned to Tripoli to continue his menial jobs. It was in 2005 when he was informed of the sudden death of his father then he decided to return home and subsequently did in 2007.
“Two of my colleagues I began the journey with made it, but not to Europe. One is in Japan and the other is in Thailand. Though I have been receiving something from them, but life here in Ghana has been difficult. I cannot lay my hand on a permanent job”, Mohammed, who has lost one of his ears during a scuffle on his way to work as a security, stated.
https://www.modernghana.com/news/745074/iom-raises-concern-over-increasing-deaths-of-irregular-migra.html
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