Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has warned Nigerians considering irregular migration through the Sahara Desert to Libya that the conditions they encounter could be worse than the economic hardship they are trying to escape. Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, gave the warning during an interview with ARISE News on Sunday, September 27, while discussing his 47-day undercover journey from Kano through Niger Republic to Tripoli in Libya.
The investigation was conducted along one of the routes used by migrants hoping to eventually reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. Soyombo travelled alongside migrants and documented their experiences across the Sahara and in Libya.
“You know, when you are trying to escape economic deprivation, you think that any other option is good. The options in Libya are worse,” Soyombo said.
According to the journalist, some Nigerians who arrive in Libya become stranded after running out of money and discovering that reaching Europe is more difficult than they expected. Some then take whatever work they can find to survive and save enough money to continue their journey.
He also described the financial vulnerability of irregular migrants, saying those without legal status can face difficulties accessing conventional banking services and may have to keep their money in cash, exposing them to robbery and other forms of exploitation.
Soyombo said his investigation also exposed migrants to extremely difficult working and living conditions. He described seeing Nigerians working on farms in desert areas, where temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius or higher.
He recounted an incident in which migrants were allegedly forced to work on a farm without being paid. According to Soyombo, some migrants were later robbed of their cash and again forced to work.
His account is consistent with details published in his own Foundation for Investigative Journalism investigation, which documented deaths, starvation, physical abuse, abductions, torture and alleged forced labour among migrants travelling through the Sahara route.
Soyombo said he does not blame Nigerians who undertake the journey, acknowledging that economic hardship can make migration appear to be an attractive escape.
“I don’t blame them, I will never sit anywhere and blame anyone who has gone to Libya,” he said, adding that several migrants he encountered told him they would not have made the journey if they had known beforehand how difficult it would become.
The journalist said one of the biggest problems is the lack of accurate information available to people before they embark on the journey. He noted that even extensive preparation cannot guarantee that migrants will know what they will encounter along the route.
Soyombo said he spent six months preparing for his undercover investigation and was initially advised to budget for a 30-day journey. Instead, the trip lasted 47 days. His investigation is intended to give Nigerians considering the route a firsthand account of the risks involved, rather than simply relying on stories about people who successfully reach Europe.
For Nigerians considering irregular migration, Soyombo’s message is that the journey involves far more than crossing borders. Migrants can face dangerous desert conditions, exploitation, financial insecurity and difficulties reaching their intended destination.
His investigation highlights the gap between the hopes that drive people to undertake the journey and the realities they may encounter along the way.
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