Mubarak, a Ghanaian living in Germany, shared his journey in a candid interview. After completing BECE in Kwame Danso, he left Ghana for Libya to hustle, inspired by others who had done the same. At the time, social media wasn’t popular, and he and his peers believed school wouldn’t secure their future. He described himself as a stubborn youth, often under peer pressure, and said his mother was even relieved when he decided to leave because he gave her too much trouble.
His journey through the desert was rough. He and others slept on dressers, trekked for hours in the heat, and struggled to survive. He spent a year and a half in Libya, initially working as a plasterer but later switching to painting, which he learned on the job. His dream was to make money in Europe, return to Ghana, start a business, and build a house. His cousin, who was in prison at the time, connected him with a contact—an agent who helped him get smuggled to the coast. They were beaten and held before attempting the sea crossing.
Mubarak, who had dreadlocks and stood out among the others, ended up imprisoned for a month. News falsely spread back home that he had died at sea, and preparations for his funeral began. He eventually escaped the prison with a group of 20–30 others after an Eritrean boy helped them scale a wall. They hid in an unfinished building, and later, Mubarak and his group managed to get on a boat again. After seven hours on dangerous waters, they were rescued by Italian authorities. He called his mother from Italy—she was relieved and overjoyed to hear he was alive.
He landed in Lampedusa and later moved to Bologna, Italy, where he lived well for a while. He had a car, a motorcycle, a house, and friends. He stayed in Italy for six years before returning briefly to Ghana. On his return to Europe, he realized life required more caution. He tried moving to Finland but couldn’t work due to the system. Later, he went to Poland and Rotterdam but also struggled with unemployment there before finally relocating to Germany.
Now settled in Germany, Mubarak advises others not to risk crossing the sea to Europe, especially if they have work in Ghana. He believes life abroad is full of stress and lacks the freedom people often imagine. He pointed out that even after many years, most migrants don’t have €5,000 saved, and that it can take decades to build wealth—by which time they may be old and tired. He mentioned visiting Ghana four times and often wishes he had never left.
He recalled a man at an Italian airport who had reduced his age to work but couldn’t even lift one package; the man only had seven years left before retirement. Mubarak pitied him. He warns that coming to Europe without proper documents or a clear plan is not worth it, even with €15,000–€20,000. Without legal status, he says, you will struggle for years with little to show for it. Despite all, he holds onto hope and says, “We’re still young. We’ll get there eventually.”
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