Paa Kwasi’s Struggle: From Ghana to Algeria, Spain, and the Harsh Reality Abroad
Paa Kwasi, a Ghanaian migrant, shared his difficult journey across North Africa in search of a better life.
He was based in Accra, where he worked as a taxi driver under a “work and pay” arrangement. Business was good, but the pressure to provide more for his wife and children pushed him to seek greener pastures abroad. He eventually sold his car to finance the journey.
Paa Kwasi first moved to Lybia, where he spent a year. However, he described the Libyan experience as terrifying — especially their prisons. According to him, when migrants are arrested at sea, authorities impose heavy fines of up to 4,000 dinars, making survival extremely difficult.
He later crossed into Algeria and from there, attempted to enter Morocco. But the journey was brutal. “When the Moroccan police see you and tell you to stop, if you obey, they won’t beat you. But if you try to run, they beat you like a thief. If you have money on you, they take it away and deport you back to Algeria,” he explained.
During one of the desert crossings, a fellow Ghanaian disappeared and could not be found. Others also collapsed from exhaustion. One man, he recalled, attempted to cross through the desert but was forced to walk three days back without food or water and later died. “People die in front of you. I saw it myself,” Paa Kwasi said.
Despite these dangers, he continued the journey and eventually reached Spain, though he remains stuck without proper documentation.
Reflecting on his choices, Paa Kwasi admitted he knew the risks before leaving Ghana but felt family pressure pushed him to try. “I had a wife and children. I wanted to take care of them, so I took the risk. Even the taxi business I was doing in Ghana was fetching money, but the pressure to go abroad made me sell my car,” he said.
Now stranded, he hopes to retrieve the money he paid to the connection man who promised to push him through. If not, he says he might consider returning to Ghana. “In Ghana, with 500 cedis a month, I could survive. At least I had something there. Here, I’m stuck.”
Paa Kwasi warned others against taking the Morocco route. “Don’t try it. People are dying every day in the desert. Some are stuck, some are beaten to death by Algerian police. It’s not worth the risk,” he cautioned.
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