CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Ghana |
SOCIAL CONDITIONS
If Mungo Park, the 18th century British explorer, were to be alive today,
he would have been awed by the spirit and enthusiasm of some young Ghanaians
who now trek hundreds of miles to «discover» EuropeThere’s every bit of a modern-day Mungo Park in some young Ghanaians who are bracing themselves for untold adventures through the sands of the Sahara to reach Europe. Reminiscent of the adventures of Mungo Park, these fortune seekers defy the hardship of forest and desert in their bid to reach what they imagine to be the «promised land».
They first of all travel to Burkina Faso which shares a border with Ghana; then they enter the desert in Niger and finally cross the Sahara sands to Libya with the intention of working their way to Europe. This kind of journey is mostly undertaken by the uneducated, who often see Europe as a Utopia. They can’t afford an air ticket and their knowledge of Europe is far from certain.
A dangerous journey
Some poor souls have undoubtedly been lost while crossing the Sahara. Crossing the 300-kilometre stretch of pure desert calls for courage and determination. It’s known that those who become dehydrated, weak and helpless are often left to die when they cannot continue the journey. Survival is the word here. Since the beginning of January this year, up to the first week of June, about 200 Ghanaians were reported to have died in Libya attempting to cross the desert. Extreme dehydration and general fatigue precipitated by the harsh weather conditions in the desert were given as the causes of death. Conservative estimates indicate that about 10% of those who attempt the desert crossing perish on the way.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Libya, George Kumi, believes the death toll could be even higher. At times, Ghana’s Embassy in Tripoli has had to organise search-and-rescue operations to save Ghanaians stranded in the desert. Despite numerous warnings, some young Ghanaians are still keen to get to Europe via the Sahara Desert. The young travellers are often conned into the journey by self-styled travel agents into believing they can easily reach Europe by walking across the desert. These tricksters are frequently in cahoots with Libyan so-called «guides» who lead the unsuspecting Ghanaians into the inhospitable desert conditions — for a fee, of course.
Sometimes the travellers are robbed of all their possessions en route. Sometimes the «con men» (i.e. the «travel agents») abandon the travellers after receiving payment, or advise them to walk on, assuring them that Libya is only a few kilometres away.
From Libya to Europe
There are about 25,000 Ghanaians currently resident in Libya, with a sizeable number of them working to raise funds to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat to Europe. The idea seems to have caught on with other Africans, who are also preparing themselves in Libya to «cross over».
In August, local police reported that the bodies of 21 Africans had been found in the southern Algerian desert near Tamanrasset. The 17 men and four women from various African countries died of thirst. Six passports from Mali, Ghana and Benin were found with the bodies.
But the boat trip from Libya to Europe isn’t all plain sailing. In June, two incidents occurred. As many as 70 people were drowned when a boat carrying some of the illegal African immigrants sank off the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. In a matter of days, a second boat carrying about 250 people experienced a similar fate. Tunisian coast guards rescued 41 people and recovered about two dozen bodies. The survivors say they boarded the boat in Libya, which is becoming a favourite spot for such «expeditions».
Italy‘s long coastline makes it a popular landfall for people seeking to enter Europe illegally, with almost 3,000 believed to have landed in that country in June alone. Italy has since accused Libya of being a base for boats trying to bring illegal immigrants across the Mediterranean, and is now considering placing troops on Libyan soil to curb the practice.
There have been other incidents when young Ghanaians stowed away in ships or on aircraft in an attempt to reach Europe. Recently, two Ghanaians who hid in an aircraft were found frozen to death on arrival in London.
Many of these migrants are seeking to escape from a situation at home where it is proving increasingly difficult to survive in Ghana’s present economic climate. Fuel prices have increased and the cost of living remains very high. The average Ghanaian feels the pinch, day in and day out. Poverty, hunger, unemployment and worsening threats to the environment, all add to the grim picture. Local firms are going bankrupt because they cannot keep pace with cheap imports. Ghana’s productive forces are increasingly turning to trading instead of producing. Many children have stopped going to school because their parents can’t afford the fees. Education used to be free in Ghana, until the IMF put a stop to that. As an educationist recently said: «What type of future are we building when the majority of our children cannot afford education?» So a new vision appears before the school dropouts — they see Europe as a destination where they can break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Many still see Europe as a «paradise on earth», where life could be easier.
One can hardly blame them!
- Samuel Sarpong, Ghana, September 2003 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment