From Africa to Europe : uncovering the experiences of a physical and an emotional journey of sufferings

Abstract

This study is aimed at uncovering the experiences that irregular immigrants go through before reaching our shores. After conducting a pilot study, five irregular immigrants from different countries in Africa were interviewed. The study took the form of ‘narrative interviews’, where the participants related their story by starting with the reasons that made them flee from their country, followed by a description of the experiences that they went through in their journey. The main reasons why the participants left their countries seem to be fear of their own life and economical reasons. In their journey the three common and most dangerous milestones are the crossing of the Sahara desert, their stay in Libya and the boat journey towards Europe. A description of the dangers in each aspect of the journey is given as described by the participants. Thus the discussion of this study revolves around the fact that irregular immigrants undergo through a journey of physical and emotional sufferings that start off in their countries and continues in their journey towards Europe. The source of sufferings in their country is the governmental system characterised by corruption, while during their journey the fact that they travel ‘illegally’ and without documents. The common experiences of sufferings experienced by the participants take the form of financial hardships, mistreatments, deaths of people, fear and helplessness. Therefore people working with irregular immigrants, specifically social workers and social policy makers should be considerate and sensitive towards the sufferings that irregular immigrants go through before reaching on our shores, in order to understand and help the immigrants deal with their past experiences, while supporting them in building a present and a brighter future.