Abdoulaye (not his real name), 27, tried to illegally migrate from Mali to Spain a few months ago, but he was intercepted by the Spanish authorities in northern Morocco and sent home. Since then he has been living in Gao, the last big town in Mali before the Sahara crossing, trying to scrape together enough money to try again.
“I left Gao for Spain. Crossing the desert took several weeks and was a terrible experience, but it’s worse when you get to Algeria. The Algerian police took our passports, all our documents, and then beat us and took us to the police station. They do that to everyone who arrives.
“From Algeria I had to get to Morocco, and that journey was full of problems too. It takes twelve days from the Mali-Algerian border to the Morocco border – twelve days of desert without much to eat or drink.
“Finally I got to Spain by crossing the sea, but I only got to spend three weeks there because they sent me home again. Some 280 migrants were expelled with me, but I’m going back. I’m trying again. I just need to find enough money.
“There are people-smugglers or “coxers” here and in Bamako who are in touch with the people in Spain. There are literally hundreds of them in Gao and Bamako and hundreds of people arrive in Gao every week trying to get to the border. Mali is a crossroads for people from Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and all over West Africa.
If you can get to Gao a coxer will take you as far as Inhalit on the Algerian border, which costs about US$59. Then you can get someone else to take you to the Moroccan border, which costs about US$468.
“It’s expensive I know, but we have no choice. If you want the opportunities available in Europe and Spain then you are obliged to pay that kind of money.
“There is nothing to do in Africa and we are suffering. Young men get married and have kids but they cannot provide for them. There are no jobs. Even after my disappointing experience of travelling to Spain I am happy to try again because there is nothing here. I’m not discouraged.”
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
