Hargeele’s Story: Horrors of the desert and death at sea
Hargeele is a young Somali who came to Germany in 2016. Raised in a village in the countryside, he had a good life until the civil war changed everything. Soon, he was persuaded by friends to go to Europe in search of security and a better future. He was told the journey would be easy, but once he started, he realized he was being trafficked—and thus a prisoner. There was no way back.
“When you reach Ethiopia, you begin to realize that the journey is a mistake, but you cannot go back. As soon as you have left your country, you are sold. You are already the property of the traffickers. “
His journey through Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya took three years. He and his fellow-travellers were kept as slaves and sold like animals in a market. They were badly mistreated; he saw people killed for the “crime” of asking for water.
“These traffickers are inhuman; there is no mercy or kindness in them. I can’t count how many times I’ve been beaten. I was tied to a vehicle as it drove down the road and was badly injured. That’s how it was.”
The final leg of his journey - across the Mediterranean - was another horrific ordeal. The boat he was in took on water and became unstable; it had to return to the Libyan coast. Meanwhile, people were panicking and pushing each other overboard.
“It was everybody for themselves. The most disturbing thing that I can’t get out of my head was the crying and wailing of women and children who were left behind to drown.”
After this initial experience, Hargeele made several more attempts to cross. He was determined to reach Europe. He witnessed others in the same situation who gave up trying along with their will to live.
Hargeele finally made it to Europe but he warns his compatriots and other people in Africa: do not be seduced by promises of a better life in Europe. The journey through Libya is dangerous and deadly. Think twice - then think again.
“They buy suits and take good pictures; they put them on social media and tell people that life here is fantastic. So, the diaspora plays a big role in the decision people make. The people in Africa see these pictures and think they have made it in life.
The poor person they grew up with has made it in life, so they decide to take the dreadful journey to Europe.”