By Allieu S. Tunkara
Sierra Leone welcomes home 145 Serra Leoneans from the North-African country of Niger after their journey to Europe failed. The aircraft that flew them touched down at the Lungi International Airport the previous week.
The Journey to Europe popularly referred to as ‘Temple Run’ stopped half way in the North-African country. The irregular migrants were reportedly stranded in Niger, and contacted a UN Agency in the country, International Organisation for Migration for assistance.
IOM responded when it hired a flight that brought them back to Sierra Leone. One of the returnees, Lamin Turay narrated a sad story as their hopes and dreams have been shattered.
“The journey to Europe through ‘Temple Run’ is not easy as some people might think. I lost everything. I am happy that I am back home…to start a new life,” Turay expressed hope.
Despite the ordeal Turay encountered along the journey, he however remains hopeful of a bright future. The number swells the population of repatriated migrants to over a 1,000. Like IOM Niger, IOM Sierra Leone has also embarked on such operations. Mid last year, dozens of Sierra Leoneans were also stranded in Lebanon when a trip to Europe failed. They languished there for weeks without aid.
Their horror came to an end when IOM Sierra Leone brought them home. Another batch of Sierra Leoneans who were also stranded in Senegal returned to Sierra Leone with IOM’s assistance.
The stranded migrants were held in a detention camp in the West Africa country before they are brought back to the country. Three Sierra Leoneans were also intercepted in Algeria in their attempt to cross over to Italy.
The illegal migrants left PortLoko for Europe when they ran out of luck. They were also intercepted and held in a detention camp by security operatives along the coast. Security personnel demanded ransom for the detainees to get back their freedom.
Two returned home after their parents sent the ransom. Alhaji Kargbo whose father could not pay on time languished in detention for over a month. The money was sent later by his father, Abu Kargbo aka Bo School, but payment was painful. Pa Kargbo became indebted to some of his neighbours to raise Le10, 000, 000 (ten million Leones) (US$1,000) for Alhaji’s safe return. Another Sierra Leonean, Mariama was also stopped and repatriated to Sierra after she was intercepted when she attempted to illegally enter Cyprus in Europe.
The embarrassment Mariama suffered along the way could not discourage her from going back after she returned home. She still made attempts to to go back to Europe owing to beautiful stories she got from peers whose trips were successful.
In a taxi car bound, Mariama told this press that she was heading for Cline town, east of Freetown to meet her agent who would take her back.
She said, “I will go back despite any situation. Sierra Leone’s situation is too tough. Once in Europe, life will be better for me,” she hoped.
IOM works in sync with several agencies in the public private sector notably Ministry of Social Welfare (MSW) and Advocacy Movement Network against Human trafficking (AMNet) to stem the tide of irregular migration.
It is a form of human trafficking. MSW worked tirelessly to end irregular migration through a task force it set up few years back. At the height of human trafficking incidents, a one-year AMNet project was approved by IOM to educate Sierra Leoneans not to embark on perilous journeys.
The journeys, most times, fail and migrants lose their lives along the way. In its public education campaigns, AMNet toured to various communities in Sierra Leone with anti-human messages.
Border communities particularly Kambia, Pujehun, Kailahun, Koinadugu among others were specifically targeted for public education schemes. Residents in these communities were vulnerable to human traffickers.
Police officers, lawyers, media practitioners and magistrates were trained by Justice Adrian Fisher on human trafficking related crimes. The aim is to sharpen the knowledge of these professionals on issues of human trafficking, and hand down appropriate verdicts and rulings.
In combating such crime, the judiciary is central. Sierra Leone was branded as a transit for victims of human trafficking. A 2019 Human Trafficking Report by the United States placed Sierra Leone in Tier-2 Watch List.
This means the country made no effort to stop the crime of human trafficking, and therefore unworthy of US aid. IOM and AMNet flexed their muscles to end irregular migration when Sierra Leone failed to qualify for millions of US dollars under the (Millenium Challenge Compact), an initiative of the American government.
Under the MCC, countries are rated on several governance indicators: human rights, corruption, gender equality, human trafficking, peace and security among others.
The degree of success in such parametres qualifies countries for US donor money. Sierra Leone qualified in several indicators but failed under human trafficking during that year.
In mid-2020, IOM held a conference in which a document for regular and orderly migration was deliberated on. Important personalities including Minister of Internal Affairs, Panda Noah were in attendance.
Representatives of local recruitment agencies were also invited. The conference’s aim was to ensure that the recruiters and policy makers know the difference between regular and irregular migration.
During the deliberations, it came out clear that migration from one country to another to seek employment is not bad as long it is done within the confines of the law.
The situation could be interpreted to mean that there should be no middlemen to illegally benefit from the labour of another man. Owing to steps taken by authorities especially in the prosecution and conviction of human traffickers, Sierra Leone recently qualified for the MCC aid.
The country rose from Tier-2 Watch List to Tier-2 meaning the country has made significant progress. But gains made would be reversed if authorities open the floodgate to irregular migration.
Sierra Leoneans became familiar with the ‘Temple Run’ phenomenon when most North African countries fell into all-out conflicts. Libya once a peaceful and stable country was tagged a ‘failed state’ after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.
No law and order prevails there, a situation illegal migrant tap into to see themselves in Italy and other European countries.