Away from the dreamland.

In December 2016, when I went to meet the sub-Saharans trapped in Morocco in their adventure towards Europe, I never would have imagined that I would be working on this issue for the following three years. This project was born from the experiences I had with these young people on the road of exodus, friendships that I have built with them over time, and the evolution of each of the characters.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) predicts that «some 135 million people may be displaced by 2045 as a result of desertification,” in addition to those displaced by poverty and political instability around the Sahel.

Many of these people see Europe as a safe destination, and Morocco, as a safer gateway than Libya to reach the continent by land or sea. In 2018, the UNHCR reported at least 6,800 people arrived in Spain through the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, making Spain the primary point of entry by land to Europe.

The stories presented here are accounts of how these numbers play out in real life. African youth invest their money, health, and life for a chance at living decently in Europe, but often find that the dreamland they envisioned is far removed from the reality they experience once in Europe.

Keïta has been on his way to Europe since he was 14. That was over five years ago, and the Malian young man is still stuck at Morocco’s border with Spain, living in the informal camp of Gourougou. Only 12 km separate him from Spain. But this story is not only about Keïta. It’s also about Van, Madou, Dra, and Oumaro, and many, many other young people who have left their homes because their livelihood was at risk.

There might be millions of Keïta, Van, Madou, Dra, and Oumaro before this project is published, but my hope is that their stories will influence you and our governments in their decision-making about present and future migrants.

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Away from the dreamland