Investigative journalist Fisayo Shoyombo has described the conditions faced by Nigerians who travel through the Sahara Route to Libya, saying the options available to migrants there are worse than economic hardship in Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday,
Soyombo discussed his 47-day undercover journey from Kano through Niger to Tripoli, where he documented the experiences of migrants travelling along the route.
He said Nigerians facing economic hardship may view migration as an escape, without understanding the conditions they could encounter in Libya.
“You know, when you are trying to escape economic deprivation, you think that any other option is good. The options in Libya are worse.”
Shoyombo said some Nigerians who reach Libya become trapped after running out of money and are forced to take jobs to survive while trying to raise funds for another attempt to cross into Europe.
“What happens a lot of time is, they get to Libya, they realise they can’t cross. They are stuck. They run out of funds. Then they have to go into many jobs to at least be able to eat. Then they start saving to cross.”
He said irregular migrants in Libya face further difficulties because they cannot access normal financial services and may be unable to seek help when they are exploited.
“But don’t forget, you’ve gone into Libya illegally because Libya already criminalised irregular migration. You can’t open a bank account. So you keep cash. Anyone can rob you.”
Soyombo also described the risks faced by migrants who take up work in Libya, particularly agricultural labour in the desert.
“The Nigerians who are in Libya are farming. Do you know the temperatures in Libya? It’s a desert. The hottest Nigerian state I’ve been to is probably Yobe.”
He said migrants working on farms can face extreme heat and may not receive payment for their labour.
“The Agadir that was the start of the desert was like 20 degrees centigrade to 32 degrees centigrade. In the desert, you are talking temperatures of 40 and more as you go to farm.”
He added: “So if you are struggling in Nigeria and they say, no, come and start a farm. And you say, no, I’m not going to do this. Know that the option you are hiring in Libya is you are going to do that farming in worse, hotter temperatures and the person may not pay you.”
Soyombo recounted an incident involving migrants who were taken to work on a farm and allegedly received no payment.
“We were stopped at a village. One Arab man came. And you know, again, because I was on a mission, my eyes were everywhere. Once I saw him approaching, I took to my feet.”
He said those who could not escape were taken to work on the farm.
“The guys that were not fast, he conscripted them to the farm. They worked for like three hours in this scorching sun. And he didn’t pay them a dime.”
According to Soyombo, the migrants were later robbed of their money and again taken to work.
“The following day, he came back, went to a nearby hut, passed them and said, why would you be a migrant and you have money? No migrant, if you want money, go and work on the farm.”
“Robbed them, took their cash, took them to the farm and he didn’t pay them a dime. Who were they going to complain to? He robbed them and then he enslaved them.
Soyombo said his experience was intended to provide first-hand evidence of the dangers facing Nigerians who consider taking the route to Libya.
“I don’t blame them, I will never sit anywhere and blame anyone who has gone to Libya. Because on that trip, a lot of migrants told me, oh, if I knew I would suffer this much, I wouldn’t come.”
He said his reporting was aimed at helping people make better-informed decisions about the journey.
“So we have to help people to let them know how that Europe they want to get is extremely difficult.”
Soyombo said the journey was also far more unpredictable than many migrants realise.
“So for instance, the first thing is that you can never predict that journey. I spent six months preparing for this project. I was told to budget 30 days. I ended up spending 47 days.”
He said many migrants begin the journey without adequate information about the risks involved.
“So they embark on that journey not knowing how dangerous it is. It’s far more dangerous than… It’s not a journey I would wish on my enemy.”
Soyombo said his experience reinforced the need to provide accurate information to Nigerians considering irregular migration.
“And for me, the most straightforward way to help them is to say, this journey you’re about to go through, I went through it and have documented it. These are photos, these are videos.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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