“I was watching my death unfold before my eyes. The waves were pushing the boat in every direction.”
Every year, thousands of people leave their homes to attempt the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
And every year, thousands of men, women and children die during these journeys.
The tragedy unfolding at the gates of Europe is two fold: the Central Mediterranean route, one of the deadliest in the world,which saw more than 3,000 people lose their lives in 2016, and the Eastern Mediterranean route, which faced unprecedented migration with almost a million people using it in 2015, mainly coming from countries in conflict.
While many have no alternative but to put their lives in the hands of smugglers, some are given the opportunity to migrate safely through legal channels.
Barry from Guinea risked his life numerous times trying to secure a stable, safe and prosperous future for his family.
Ahmed from Iraq was offered the chance at resettlement in the United States with his family.
I tried three times to go back because many of my friends had made it to Europe so I was determined to be one of them. But I also know many that have died in the desert or in Libya, and others that have gone back home. I forgot that not everyone has the same luck in life and that we can’t avoid what’s written for us. Some people only try it once and they die at sea; I’ve tried it three times and I’m still alive. God gave me another chance at life. People leave their countries to look for money, but when you die, you won’t take anything with you; it will all stay behind. Life is not eternal."
"Maybe I will one day make it to Europe by a legal way. In the meantime, I hold my head up high as I go back because I haven’t killed anyone or stolen anything. I don’t see it as failure, but as a stepping stone in my life. This experience has taught me that I deserve more.”
Ahmed
May 19th, 2008 was the start of a new chapter in the United States for Ahmed and his family. Ahmed, his younger sister and parents were resettled in Sioux Falls, South Dakota after fleeing the war in Iraq.
“It took us four planes to get here! We went from Damascus to Budapest, Budapest to New York and then New York to Chicago and finally to South Dakota,” recalls Ahmed.
Ahmed and his family first found refuge in Syria in 2006. “On July 26th, 2006, our house was bombed. About a couple weeks later, my dad said we were getting out of there. During those couple of weeks, we moved around and that was the beginning of several relocations over the course of six years. I never thought of the distance of those relocations, I always thought that we were going to a place nearby.”
Migration is not a new phenomenon and as the world continues to globalize, a trend that has been ongoing for hundreds of years, there will continue to be more tales of lives in transit.
The UN estimates that there are more than 244 million international migrants across the globe. The stories, cultures, and histories these migrants bring with them help diversify and enrich the world. The more open and accessible that movement is for people the less risk people must take to reach their new homes. Whether it is forced displacement from armed conflict like Ahmed, or the search for a better livelihood like Barry, migration will continue for as long as that dream for a better and safer existence.