Made on Earth (13 page)

Among the people on the beach is 18-year-old Adrame. He comes from a small inland village where there’s been virtually no work for many years: cotton can’t be grown as there’s too little water and growing peanuts is no longer profitable.

West Africa and Europe: A History of Suffering

Fishermen often end up selling their boats to human traffickers because they can no longer make a living from fishing. This is largely the fault of European trawlers – these trawlers depend on the fish on the West African coast. The European Union has provided around four billion euros to boost the fishing sector. Much of this money was used to buy the rights to fish
off the West African coast. The money didn’t go to the local West African fishermen however, but into the Senegalese government’s pockets. The EU funding
should
have been used to protect jobs, but instead the money was used by commercial fishing companies to buy bigger and more powerful boats. Often the West Africans who work on the European ships do so for low wages, especially the Spanish trawlers. In short: West Africans are being exploited with help from EU funding, and are having their livelihood destroyed at the same time.

Due to much criticism from the media, the EU have now placed much stronger constraints on European fishermen: they can no longer take so many fish from the West African coast, and have to use looser nets so the younger fish don’t get caught. The aim of this was to protect coastal fishing for the West Africans. The Senegalese government promptly sold the fishing rights for even more money to Korea – without
any
protection for the Senegalese fishermen.

Adrame spent some time in Dakar, but he was only able to get small odd jobs here and there. He has no relatives in Dakar and doesn’t know anyone there either, which is what you need to get a job. That’s why he wants to go to Europe. In fact, Adrame wants to go to Europe more than anything, mainly because his old school friend Adbouleyle told him what it’s like. Adbouleyle has done really well there. He came back to visit his old village about six months ago. He was well dressed and had a huge watch, big sunglasses and a white woman
at his side. The woman was his new wife.

“When you first get there everything’s so easy!” his friend told him when they were alone. “You can get a permanent job. I work in a restaurant called McDonald’s; it’s the largest restaurant chain in the world. Do you get me?” He pinched Adame’s side. “It is pretty cold there, but you can afford all the clothes in the world. You see something and then you just buy it! No more second-hand clothes for me.”

After his friend had left again, Adame couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d been told. Dakar was no longer his goal, he wanted to go to Europe; he wanted to be in paradise just like his friend. For days he’s been looking for a boat that will take him to the Canary Islands. He’s stopped caring how big or how old the boat is that takes him, or even how many people are on the boat. The only thing that matters is that he has the €350 euros for the journey over, which he had great difficulty borrowing from family and friends.

The skipper beckons Adame over, and tells him it costs €500 to €600 euros per place on the boat. The skipper has to buy the boat from the fisherman and he needs to hire an experienced sailor. He also needs to pay for the petrol. On top of this, the many contacts he has looking for immigrants to fill the boat will
also want payment.

7 December 2007

As Adrame wanders through the town looking for a ride he hears a lot of terrible things about the journey to the  so-called European ‘paradise’. For the last few days radio announcements, made by the government, have been being playing day and night: “Your dreams will not come true!” he hears, over and over. What these messages are trying to say is that most refugees will never make it to Europe. They drown or are deported. If they do make it, they are treated as illegal immigrants. They must work in horrible jobs, are badly paid and can’t even visit a doctor when they get sick. But the people on the beach say: “The Europeans pay for those radio announcements!” Today in the café someone told Adrame that the government has allowed European aeroplanes, helicopters and speedboats with machine guns to patrol the borders to international waters. They tip the boats over and then they shoot everyone inside them.

“Rubbish!” someone calls out. “You don’t really believe that our government would let foreigners kill us?”

“Our government cannot be trusted!” replies a third person, “they would have us all sold as slaves if someone would pay for us!’

This was followed by a long silence. Suddenly everyone felt insignificant and defenceless.

Adrame manages to ignore all of these comments but then he hears something he cannot get out of his head. Many ships are damaged during storms or go round in circles because they’ve lost their way. In the most dire situations, the boats capsize and everyone on board drowns – then their bodies wash up on the coast of Morocco.

That
can’t
happen to Adrame. He decides that he will visit a mage – also called a marabout.

The people of Senegal are Muslim, but many of their ancient rites and spiritual beliefs date from the pre-Muslim era. These beliefs are inspired by nature; that there are good and bad spirits everywhere, but only marabouts can see them. If a good spirit hovers above a person or a journey then everything will be fine. If a bad spirit is present, then a marabout might be able to help you. If he is not successful though, you should give up your plans. Adrame haggles with the marabout for a long time. Money exchanges hands, and then the marabout seeks advice from his ancestors and his invisible helpers. He drinks a strange liquid from a bottle, sways backwards and forwards and his eyes begin to roll back in his head.

He blesses Adrame with a magical spell, places his hands on Adrame’s head and sprays a little liquid into his face. Finally, the marabout murmurs words Adrame can barely understand: “You will . . . reach . . . your goal – but . . . beware . . . long . . . shadow over your boat . . . they are following you . . . protection . . . something that glows . . .”

Protection . . . something that glows?
Adrame wants to ask what exactly the marabout means, but the marabout awakens slowly from his trance and simply says: “Go now, I am weary!”

Should Adrame protect himself with something that glows? Or should he protect himself
from
something that glows? For half an hour, Adrame wanders through the town until he sees the red fleece body warmer at Aisha’s stall – perhaps this is a sign.

Sounding a little naive, he says to the stall owner: “It looks magical!”

“Yes,” she says, “it’s made from a water-resistant material. Water cannot get through it and you don’t sweat in it. This body warmer really does have magical powers . . . If I really think about it, 150 francs is too cheap.”

Adrame has to question this: “Why hasn’t anyone bought it yet then? Maybe there’s a curse on it. It doesn’t even really look that good.” Adrame unfolds the body warmer.

“Hey, there’s a huge stain on it!”

“Okay, 130 francs!” Aisha says quickly. “Discounted price. Give me the money!”

And the red fleece finally changes hands.

9

Some are Thirsty, Others are Not: A Showdown in Tenerife

14 December 2007

At sunset, the refugees assemble on the beach. Today should be the day that they finally set off on their long jouney. After his €350 euros has been rejected countless times, the skipper finally accepts the money. “Don’t expect any luxuries. That’s just about enough for the boat and the petrol.” The skipper looks devious. For a few days, nothing happens. Adrame comes to the beach every afternoon and looks for the skipper, but he is always told: “Not today! Maybe tomorrow.” Twice the refugees have all gathered at the beach expecting to leave, but the skipper thought the weather was too poor. If the waves are higher than two metres, an open boat stands no chance.

Today’s the day. The skipper collects all the money. He also takes everyone’s passports and documentation, so he can burn them. “Is that everyone’s papers? If there’s a single document on board, we’ll all be sent back. If they catch you in international waters, you can’t have any papers on you. Say your name, but not where you come from. That way, they can’t send you back to Senegal. They’re not allowed to. Whatever happens in the next few hours, keep your mouth shut. We have to make it to international waters!”

Adrame’s friend had told him to check over the whole boat. Are there any holes in it? Has it got a good motor and enough petrol? Does it have a navigation system on board so they can find their way? But how can Adrame find all this out? It’s dark, and they’re led onto the boat at the last minute. The skipper looks mean and has a huge knife sticking out of his waistband. Adrame has paid a cheap price
for the journey. If he asks any questions, he’s sure that he’ll be thrown off the boat and won’t get his money back. So Adrame doesn’t take a close look at the boat before he climbs on board, and instead squeezes in amongst the other 62 refugees. He sits at the front of the boat, which isn’t a good spot but for the price he’s paid he can’t complain. As the boat makes its way through the surf, everyone at the front gets wet. Adrame’s wearing the red fleece body warmer.

How Can a Senegalese Person Make it to Europe?

There are three ways in which a Senegalese person might successfully make it to Europe:

1.        The safest method is to marry a European. But how does a Senegalese person find a European to marry? Very few tourists come to Senegal looking for marriage. So, to find a European to marry, you have to be in Europe.

2.        The cheapest route is not to take a fishing boat, but to go by aeroplane. A ticket from Dakar to Paris costs around €300 euros, but you’ll also need a visa. A fake visa will get you past the customs officials in Dakar, but once you get to Paris you’ll be found out and flown straight back.

3.        The most dangerous and most expensive method is to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open boat by paying human traffickers to take you into Europe illegally.

Up until 2006, the main route for African refugees was through the Strait of Gibraltar towards Spain. It went straight through the Sahara to the Moroccan coast, so a lot of the journey was on foot. But since 2006 this route has been more strictly patrolled and the Moroccans come down hard on illegal immigrants. So now the new routes go around Morocco. The eastern route runs through Libya, across the Mediterranean towards Italy or Greece, and the western route runs along the Mauritian or Senegalese coast and across the open Atlantic to the Canary Islands.

These journeys last four or five days and cost around €600 euros. The price depends on the relative safety and comfort of the ship: are the boats made from wood or steel? Are they motorised and do they have a navigation system on board and so on. The young Senegalese used to have to rely on word of mouth from friends and families to discover the answer to these questions, but now they can learn a lot from the Internet. People trafficking ‘tours’ are offered alongside ‘normal’ trips. You can see the weather forecast for the Atlantic on the Internet too: which direction is the wind blowing? Will storms be brewing in the next few days, or will the Harmattan, a wind that carries sand from the Sahara, make it impossible to see? However those who are trying to prevent people trafficking have upgraded too: The European Union have founded the border defence organisation Frontex, which patrols the West African coast with reconnaissance planes, helicopters and boats so that they can prevent refugees from entering international waters.

Adrame uses his ‘magical fleece’ to keep dry when the water splashes into the boat over and over again. They’ve barely left the shore when the boat driver gives some further instructions: “Anyone caught stealing money or drinking water will be thrown overboard. Only drink one cup of water in the morning and one in the evening, otherwise our supplies won’t last and you’ll have to wee too often. You have to wee and do your other business over the side of the boat. Get your neighbour to hold on to you so that you don’t fall out of the boat. Don’t wee into the wind, do it at the back of the boat. With Allah’s help, we will make it.”

15 December 2007

By sunset Adrame can no longer see the coast. They are completely surrounded by water as far as the eye can see. This is an extraordinary feeling. Adrame looks around him on the boat and he can see lots of young men and a few young women. An old man sits close by. He is 53 years old, and the many traumas and disappointments of his life have left behind deep furrows and lines on his face. Why is an old man making such a difficult journey? “Why are you here?” Adrame asks the man.

“You know, everyone thinks that I’m too old, that I won’t make it. But I’ve been through more than all of you put together. I’ve worked for 40 years and have survived a famine. All my children now live in the promised land, in France. My wife died of yellow fever last year. No doctors would visit us. That would never have happened in France. The loneliness I feel every morning when I wake up is like a terrible illness. Every evening when I go to bed alone feels like a small death. I have to break free from this life of isolation. If I die on the way to my children, that’s fine by me. I have left my life behind. But all of you, you have your whole lives ahead of you. That is why Allah must lead the hand of our boat driver . . .”