Fisayo Soyombo, an Investigative journalist and founder of Foundation for Investigative Journalism, has warned Nigerians considering irregular migration to Libya to reconsider the decision, saying the hardship they may encounter there could be worse than the conditions they are trying to escape.
Soyombo gave the warning during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, where he spoke about his 47-day undercover journey from Kano through Niger to Tripoli, documenting the experiences of migrants travelling along the Sahara Route.
According to him, some Nigerians facing economic difficulties may see Libya as an escape route without fully understanding the harsh conditions awaiting them.
“When you are trying to escape economic deprivation, you think that any other option is good. The options in Libya are worse,” he said.
Soyombo explained that many migrants become stranded after arriving in Libya when they run out of money and are unable to continue their journey to Europe.
He said some are forced to take up menial jobs to survive and save enough money for another attempt to cross into Europe.
He also warned that irregular migrants face difficulties accessing financial services because of their status and may be forced to keep their money in cash, leaving them vulnerable to robbery.
“Libya already criminalised irregular migration. You can’t open a bank account. So you keep cash. Anyone can rob you,” he said.
The journalist further described the difficult conditions faced by migrants who work on farms in the desert, noting that temperatures can rise above 40 degrees Celsius.
Soyombo recounted an incident during his undercover journey in which some migrants were taken to a farm and allegedly made to work for several hours under the scorching sun without payment.
He said the migrants were later robbed of their money and taken back to the farm to continue working.
“Who were they going to complain to? He robbed them and then he enslaved them,” Soyombo said.
Despite the experiences he documented, Soyombo said he would not blame Nigerians who had travelled to Libya, noting that many of the migrants he met said they would not have embarked on the journey if they had known the difficulties ahead.
“I don’t blame them. I will never sit anywhere and blame anyone who has gone to Libya,” he said.
He explained that his investigation was aimed at giving Nigerians first-hand information about the dangers associated with the Sahara migration route and helping those considering the journey make informed decisions.
Soyombo said the journey was also far more unpredictable than he initially expected. Despite spending six months preparing for the investigation and being advised to budget for 30 days, he eventually spent 47 days on the route.
He urged Nigerians to understand the risks involved before attempting the journey, stressing that the route could be far more dangerous than many people imagine.
“For me, the most straightforward way to help them is to say, this journey you’re about to go through, I went through it and have documented it. These are photos, these are videos,” he said.