Nana Kwame, a Ghanaian currently living in Belarus, has been in the country for eight months. He says he was misled by an agent in Ghana who promised him job opportunities and a better life abroad. According to Nana Kwame, the agent charged him GHC 55,000 and advised him to carry $3,000 in pocket money. He was also made to purchase a return ticket to Belarus.
“I was told there are many jobs in Belarus with monthly salaries between $800 and $1,000. It sounded like a good deal, so I paid GHC 40,000 upfront and still owe the agent,” he revealed.
Once in Belarus, Nana Kwame discovered that the promises were false. The agent in Belarus demanded the $3,000 as part of a supposed arrangement. He was told he would attend school upon arrival, but that turned out to be a language school which only served to extend his one-month visa to a year.
“I completed school in 2019 and was working in Ghana, but the agent said I would continue my education in Belarus. When we got here, we kept asking when school would start, but all we got was ‘wait.’ They said the currency used here is dollars, but I realized they use rubles,” he explained.
For eight months, Nana Kwame says he has not found a job. “Two Sundays ago, I even went out looking for work but found nothing. Anyone planning to come to Belarus through an agent should forget it. They use Belarus as a transit point to push people into Germany via Latvia. Boys who paid $1,500 for that route were deported back after seeking asylum.”
Nana Kwame shared how he and others tried to cross into Poland through the bush but were caught and beaten by soldiers near the Warsaw border. “Some soldiers can be bribed to let you cross, but we were unlucky. They beat us before we even got to the border.”
His original dream was to study and eventually settle in Germany, but that plan has failed. “Most of these TikTok agents are liars. They make everything look easy, but there are no jobs here. I regret not using the money to apply for a Schengen visa instead. My dad supported me financially because the agent convinced him, and now I can’t even complain because he would be disappointed.”
Despite everything, Nana Kwame says Belarus is a peaceful place, but the struggle is real. “We risk our lives for jobs, but the pay is not even worth it. The police don’t control things here. Some Nigerian women here survive through prostitution. The agent who brought me has even blocked me.”
Now, Nana Kwame is considering two options: either trying to continue his journey to Latvia or returning to Ghana. “Some boys made it last week, but I don’t have the $1,500 the agent is charging. If I can raise it, I’ll try again. Otherwise, I’m going back home.”
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