Criss-crossing the Sahara: New dangers to the ambitions of West African migrants

Abstract

Background: This study investigates new dangers that West African migrants travelling through the Sahara Desert to Europe contend with. COVID-19 has left an unprecedented impact on all aspects of global politics, migration inclusive. In turn, limitations to migration have drastically increased, especially the stricter visa application measures set by European countries. This intensified attempts at crisscrossing the desert to Europe. In turn, several migrants used the Sahara as the highway to Europe. While some persons successfully travelled through the desert-scape, several others were unsuccessful. Notwithstanding the negative experiences of previous migrants, several other nationals across the region have plans to travel through the desert to Europe. Methods: As a descriptive study, mixed method of qualitative and quantitative approaches to data gathering and analysis were employed. Primary data for the study were gathered through key informants’ interviews with some emigrants, and electronic copies of an open-ended questionnaire were administered to the staffers of certain international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) that are focused on migration. In addition, the chain-referral sampling technique was employed. Through this, certain former migrants who were interviewed suggested other persons with whom interview sessions were conducted, in all 15 persons were interviewed while 85 persons responded to the questionnaire for the study. Results: The findings of the study indicated that there are new dangers to the lives of the migrants travelling through the Sahara Desert. Interesting however is the fact that migrants prefer being in harm’s way in their attempts to access European states illicitly through the Sahara Desert than to remain safe in their home countries in West Africa. Conclusions: The study holds that there are new dangers to the aspirations of West Africans travelling to Europe through the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea.