Farming, storekeeping, scrubbing of all kinds, construction work, factory work, and the likes are peculiar jobs helpless African migrants get involved in after reaching their destinations. Having in mind that they have been presented a lifetime opportunity, the effort put in on the job to impress their masters is so immense as if it’s were a trial to heaven. Day-in day-out, physical and mental torture are a routine phenomenon these migrants endure. But as typical of a sub-Saharan African, one needs to toughen up and strive in such difficult situations. As the months pass by, the young African migrant gradually begins to get fed up with the brutal conditions like physical beatings, unfair remunerations, and racial abuses. But for the few who have Europe in sight, the next move has to be to plan on getting aboard the boat to the south European countries of Italy and Spain.
Those who can barely cope with the situations there look back to the resources wasted for this very journey and regret taking the voyage in the first place. Reality has now dawned on them and the memories of freedom, peace, and joy enjoyed back home keeps running through their minds. Considering the ordeals gone through already, one never thinks of taking the same Agadez roots back home. Plans for booking a ticket for a flight become the only likely option to be assured of a safe reach back home. On their way back home, the confused minds of these returning illegal migrants are torn between telling the truth of the whole story or keeping mute about it. This means, their reputation would be hinged on what they say when they finally touch down.
Sadly, the meager amount of monies amassed in Libya become the same source from which the funding of the expensive trip back home is expended. Little or no amounts are then left to show for all the hard work put in. After spending years in the north African country with little or no wealth to show for, could one not say it has been a waste of time, waste of resources, and risk of one’s life? Most of these returned migrants would like to portray that all was well when they were in Libya. Although many have learned their lessons and have vowed to themselves never to attempt such a precarious journey ever again in their lifetime, they try to give a good account of Libya to the public and motivating the others planning of going there.
Until the “Libya Borgas” change their tactic of pretense, the number of illegal migrants would not dwindle any sooner. A big lesson to be learned from this Libya ordeal is that the youth of our country should realize that if the same efforts and enthusiasm that was put in the Libya travel was the same put in Ghana, one is much more likely to be successful in his own country with an additional benefit enjoying peace and having freedom.
Peace!