{"id":8943,"date":"2021-12-17T13:26:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T12:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/?p=8943"},"modified":"2021-12-20T09:54:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T08:54:25","slug":"unexpected-circumstances-migrant-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/articles\/unexpected-circumstances-migrant-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected circumstances: Five migrant stories"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The following stories were originally compiled for the <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/mixed-migration-review-2021\/\">Mixed Migration Review 2021<\/a> and have been reproduced here for wider access through this website\u2019s readership.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-image-carousel  su-image-carousel-has-spacing su-image-carousel-crop su-image-carousel-crop-16-9 su-image-carousel-has-outline su-image-carousel-adaptive su-image-carousel-slides-style-default su-image-carousel-controls-style-dark su-image-carousel-align-none\" style=\"max-width:500px\" data-flickity-options='{\"groupCells\":true,\"cellSelector\":\".su-image-carousel-item\",\"adaptiveHeight\":false,\"cellAlign\":\"left\",\"prevNextButtons\":true,\"pageDots\":true,\"autoPlay\":5000,\"imagesLoaded\":true,\"contain\":true,\"selectedAttraction\":1,\"friction\":1}' id=\"su_image_carousel_69f652184984e\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Khartoum.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Khartoum.png 1600w, https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Khartoum-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Afghanistan_to_Indonesia.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Afghanistan_to_Indonesia.png 1600w, https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Afghanistan_to_Indonesia-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Cameroon_to_Mali.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Cameroon_to_Mali.png 1600w, https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Cameroon_to_Mali-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Somalia.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Somalia.png 1600w, https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Ethiopia_to_Somalia-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item\"><div class=\"su-image-carousel-item-content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Venezuela_to_Colombia.png\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Venezuela_to_Colombia.png 1600w, https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/174_from_Venezuela_to_Colombia-1536x864.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><script id=\"su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script\">if(window.SUImageCarousel){setTimeout(function() {window.SUImageCarousel.initGallery(document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f652184984e\"))}, 0);}var su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script=document.getElementById(\"su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script\");if(su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script){su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script.parentNode.removeChild(su_image_carousel_69f652184984e_script);}<\/script>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From Ethiopia to Khartoum: <\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u201cI had to choose between money and safety.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-expand su-expand-collapsed su-expand-link-style-default\" data-height=\"100\"><div class=\"su-expand-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#333333;max-height:100px;overflow:hidden\"><strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I left my home country Ethiopia for political reasons<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> There were great <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">tensions in Ethiopia in the early 1990\u2019s. Divisions were purely based on <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ethnicity, and I am Amharic myself. The situation became especially bad when <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">the rebels from Tigray took Addis Ababa. One day, staff and a lot of students<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> at the military academy where I had a civilian job decided spontaneously to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> leave for Kenya, and we coordinated this mass departure. In total, we left with<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> around 11,000 people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">In Kenya, we coordinated as a community and planned to go back to Ethiopia to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">fight against the Tigrayans. We did not succeed, and after six years we decided<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> to go to Sudan by plane.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I left Kenya for Sudan with two ideas in mind<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>:<\/strong> coordinate with the opposition <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">to combat the Ethiopian government or apply to UNHCR for refugee status<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> and resettlement based on my political status. I went to Gedaref first when I <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">arrived in Sudan, as I had heard that in the east in the camps it was better to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> get registered with UNHCR. They lost my file twice. How is it possible? After<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> three years there I gave up on this and came to Khartoum in 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">In the beginning, I had no job, but later I created my own shop and started a <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">family here, so I decided to stay. UNHCR eventually gave me refugee status<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> and said they would update me about resettlement options later, but it never<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">It has been very difficult for me to integrate in Sudan<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. I and my family <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">are still considered outsiders. While some people are very hospitable, there <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">are also very nasty people. We, as Ethiopians, have reached a point where<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> discrimination is normal. For example, if a Sudanese were to steal from us, it<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> doesn\u2019t make sense to go to the police station. The police officers will take the<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> side of the [Sudanese] nationals and you will end up in trouble. Integration is<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> particularly difficult from an economic perspective as well. Sudanese might<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> tolerate you, but they will not tolerate when you are successful and have a good <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">business. I started my own shop, and often received humiliating comments<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> from them. A Sudanese neighbour told me once I should leave the shop to him<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> as I am an outsider and that he would do a better job. At some point it became<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> dangerous, as I started receiving threats. Once, someone came with a knife<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> and that\u2019s when I decided I had to stop with the shop. My business was going<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> well, and I had many customers, so this was a big disappointment for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I had to choose between money and safety<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> I got hired as a teacher, although<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> I do not have the right qualifications for this. I am teaching history and family<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> science. I feel safe and comfortable here, but I was making much more money<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> with my shop. My earnings are not really enough to survive. If I need to, I can<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> ask Ethiopian friends for help or a small gift, but I do it maybe once a year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">You always move because of rent<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> I live now in a compound together with<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> four Ethiopian families. We have one room per family and share commodities.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Sometimes a landlord forces you out by increasing the rent, which you cannot<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> afford. This became much worse since the start of Covid. Before, landlords<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> would tolerate it if you didn\u2019t make enough money one month. They would<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> note down your debt and you could pay it later. Now, if you can\u2019t pay, you\u2019re<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> out, as everyone is scrambling to make ends meet. There is also a cooking gas<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> shortage in Sudan, and it\u2019s very difficult to find and expensive. Sometimes I <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">see that a seller has it, but they tell me they won\u2019t give it to me as I am not <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Sudanese.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I don\u2019t feel very safe<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> The government changed after the revolution here in <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Sudan but there is still a risk for us Ethiopians to get arrested by the authorities.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Khartoum is safer than other places in Sudan, though. In the East I think the risk <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">to get arrested is bigger. I do feel safer in Khartoum right now than in Ethiopia.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> That\u2019s why I don\u2019t go back. Addis has not changed enough for me to go back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Has my migration been successful?<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">This is a very difficult question! Had I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> stayed in Ethiopia, I would have been a different person. I guess by migrating<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> I have showed the world that the situation in Ethiopia is serious and we need<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> help from the international community. This was the case in the \u201890s and is<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> still the case now. I think by making other lives better, like in my job right now,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> my current situation is a success. I hope that with their education, the children<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> will be ready to develop themselves after and to get a good life and job. I think<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> education is the most important thing for becoming successful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-more\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-less\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read less<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From Afghanistan to Indonesia: <\/span><\/strong><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u201cWe all have different journeys in life.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-expand su-expand-collapsed su-expand-link-style-default\" data-height=\"100\"><div class=\"su-expand-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#333333;max-height:100px;overflow:hidden\"> <strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I am from Afghanistan, but I grew up in Iran as a refugee<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> My father <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">was a Shia<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">mullah<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. When the Taliban took over the country [in the late <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">1990s] and started killing Hazaras and those who were practicing<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> other beliefs than theirs, my father brought us to Iran. After he passed<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> away, my family moved to Australia, but I stayed in Iran, studying at<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> university. Refugees in Iran do not have many job opportunities: they are<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> only allowed to work in factories or construction. Studying in Iran is also<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> very expensive as a refugee. Then I tried my luck to see if I could have a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> life back in Afghanistan, but there was nothing to do and no one there<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> waiting for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">We all thought we were going to die<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">on the small, crowded boat I took <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">from Malaysia to Indonesia. Our smugglers wanted to avoid a patrol<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> boat but then got lost and we ran out of fuel and were stuck on the sea in <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">pouring rain for 14 hours. People were baling out the water with baskets<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> non-stop. The next day we were rescued by other smugglers. The whole<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> trip cost $6,000, which I had to borrow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">First, I came to Bogor, the place with the biggest refugee community in<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Indonesia. I was teaching English in my room, but after a year I realized<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> there was no other opportunity for me, economically and socially, so I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> left for Jakarta in 2014 and have stayed here since then. I never thought I <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">would be here for eight years. I always hoped to be resettled in Australia <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">or go there with smugglers, but boat arrivals were forbidden, and I never <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">got the resettlement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I haven\u2019t made a family here<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">and I live alone. I don\u2019t want to start a <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">serious relationship when I am still a refugee. I just want to be resettled<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> first and start a new life with more economic and social stability. In <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Jakarta, there are opportunities to make friends, build my social network<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> and make a living. I found a lot of new friends from other countries here <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">as well. With what is happening in Afghanistan, people usually ask me <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">about the news. Talking to them really helps a lot. They show me that <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">they care for me and my people, even before the Taliban\u2019s takeover.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Even<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">though<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">refugees<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">are<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">not<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">allowed<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">to<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">work<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">in<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Indonesia, <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">opportunities come along<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. If you are active in looking for jobs, you will<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> be able to make a living. I started multiple careers here, as an English <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">teacher, gym trainer, model, and videographer. I started by talking to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">strangers at the mall. I told them that I was a teacher, and I could teach<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> mathematics and English. Indonesian people are very friendly, and I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> could find some students that way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Videography is my favourite thing to do of my different jobs. Videography<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> is like writing. The feeling I have with my camera is like the feeling a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> writer has with their pen. You create something, you make a video,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> you share your thoughts and feelings. However I am not a professional<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> videographer yet and I still have a lot to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The lesson learned here is to not be scared.<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">There were of course times<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> when I thought it was impossible to continue my life, and there were<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> times when I had to make risky decisions. For example, coming to Jakarta<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> was very risky because the cost of living is much higher than Bogor, and <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">what if I could not find a job? But every time I met a challenge, I told <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">myself, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. Take the risks. The solution will be on the way.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">It takes a lot of courage, even to talk to people here. The good thing is<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> the Indonesian people I met are very friendly and honest. For example,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> the manager of the gym in my building saw me running outside and let<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> me use the gym for free. Back in Iran, I was not very social because most<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Iranian people discriminate against Afghans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I wish I could encourage more people who are in a similar situation to <\/span><\/strong><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">mine<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> The problem is that living the life of a refugee for such a long time<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> takes the courage from many people. I have talked to many refugees<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> from Afghanistan here, but it seems like they no longer care about their <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">lives. The situation drains them out, they don\u2019t see the point of doing <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">anything.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I think we need to motivate ourselves no matter what situation we are<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> in. There was a time I had nothing to do as well. I stayed at home for a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> few months, so I borrowed a guitar from a friend and started to practice<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> the guitar around six to eight hours a day in my room. I don\u2019t think other<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> refugees are lazy, they just lost their hope.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">We all have different journeys in life. Sometimes, the journey is tough<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> and not likeable, but at the end of the day, there will be a solution that is<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> worth all the waiting and effort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-more\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-less\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read less<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From Cameroon to Mali: <\/span><\/strong><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u201cI couldn&#8217;t have dreamed of anything better.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-expand su-expand-collapsed su-expand-link-style-default\" data-height=\"100\"><div class=\"su-expand-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#333333;max-height:100px;overflow:hidden\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Mali had never been in my pl<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">ans<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> I come from Mokolo in the extreme north of <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Cameroon, but am now a naturalized Malian citizen. I arrived here in July 2006. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The main reason I left Cameroon was because I was a footballer. I played in various <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">clubs in Cameroon and in Gabon but wanted to go to Europe because talent is more<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> marketable there. Leaving my child and his mother behind, I first went through<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Nigeria and Benin to Togo. I tried to play but there it did not pay enough. Through a <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">recruiter, I then played for a season with a first division club in Benin. That&#8217;s where I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> met someone I knew from Cameroon called FN, and it&#8217;s with him that I travelled the<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> rest of the journey to Bamako. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">First, FN and I went to Niger, where we joined the Aigles d&#8217;Agadez football club to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">earn a bit of money before heading on to Algeria after a year. A few months later we<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> went on to Morocco. But in 2005 they were chasing down migrants there, acting as<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Europe\u2019s policemen. We lived in the forest in flimsy huts the police kept destroying.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> To eat, we would rummage through garbage bins or beg. Then they sent us back to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Algeria, from where we were also deported.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">When Algeria deports people, it puts them in prison<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. If you are caught in Algiers, <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">they take you from town to town and hold you in prisons until quotas are filled,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> at which point you are taken to the next town. The last one [before the border] is<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Tamanrasset, where there is a large<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">refoulement<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">centre where people are held for<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> up to two or three weeks. It\u2019s more of an open-air jail. There are no mattresses, you<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> sleep on cardboard boxes, the showers are mixed with the toilets, women and men<\/span><br role=\"presentation\" \/><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">are not separated. You are given two loaves of bread and a litre of milk for two days.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Then they put you in closed trucks, as if you were animals in cages, and take you to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">the border. When they stop, it&#8217;s only for a minute or two to pee. During one stop, FN<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> fell asleep and we almost left him behind. I will never forget these things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">We were taken to Tinzawaten, a desert border settlement in the far northeast of Mali. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From there, we had to beg smugglers to take us to Kidal because we had no money. It<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> is only thanks to God that we did not die on that journey. From Kidal, we travelled to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Gao and then on to Bamako. Even there it was not easy because we had no contacts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">For a while I lived in a \u201cghetto\u201d in Bamako.<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">This was an abandoned building with<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> about eight rooms and there was no water or electricity. Migrants of all nationalities <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">who had been deported were living there. There were eight, ten or fifteen people per<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> room and we split the rent. People got sick and some died without any support. There <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">were a lot of police raids. The neighbours used to call the police, calling us criminals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">There was no one to speak on our behalf<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> So in November 2006 we decided to form<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> an organisation to assist deported Central Africans living in Mali, called ARACEM.<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">People were suspicious of us at first and thought this project was just a way to make<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> money to migrate. But we built up trust and found partners. Today ARACEM is a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> reception centre that takes care of people, whether they are in transit or returning. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The assistance we provide is protection in the broadest sense. It includes reception,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> accommodation, food, health, etc. This is the most positive thing I have had in my life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I have always remained a footballer at heart<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">. Ten years ago I even created a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> football team here in Bamako, to give young people a chance, because I said to myself <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">if I didn&#8217;t have this chance, why not try to help these young people because today <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">there are opportunities. It&#8217;s true that I couldn&#8217;t achieve my own dream, but I would<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> like to help other young people to achieve theirs. The team didn&#8217;t work out in the end <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">because there were too many bad people. But two years ago, I finally created a club<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> in Cameroon and it&#8217;s still going well. It\u2019s very important to me to give a chance to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> young people who want to succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">As for me, I now have a family with children who go to school. I couldn&#8217;t have dreamed<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> of anything better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Giving advice is complicated<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">because if you advise a young person to stay put, you<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> have to give them solutions to make a life for themselves. I would say, be determined<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> in what you do because when you have objectives and you find yourself facing<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> obstacles, you must not give up. Know that you can make your life everywhere, not<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> only in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-more\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-less\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read less<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From Ethiopia to Somalia: &#8220;Now I am the manager of a barber shop&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-expand su-expand-collapsed su-expand-link-style-default\" data-height=\"100\"><div class=\"su-expand-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#333333;max-height:100px;overflow:hidden\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I am 35 years old, from the Amhara region in Ethiopia<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> I arrived here<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> in Bossaso [a port city in Somalia\u2019s autonomous Puntland State] in<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> November 2019. I have been here almost one year and ten months. I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> had a barber shop in Gondar [a city in the Amhara region] and I was<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> earning my income from that work and it was relatively good for me and<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> my family. But then my business collapsed and I became jobless because<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> of political instability in Ethiopia. I tried to find another job, but I failed to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> get one. After a while, my friend came to me and he suggested that I go<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> through Somalia to Saudi Arabia, where I could get a good job to feed my<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> family. So I decided to move to Somalia and to migrate to Saudi Arabia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I came alone to Bossaso and my family stayed in Gondar. First, I took a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> bus to Jijiga [the capital of Ethiopia\u2019s Somali Regional State] and then a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> truck to Wajaale [a town on the Ethiopia Somaliland border]. In Ethiopia, <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">the travel was quite stable but after I crossed the border to Somalia I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> started walking and sometimes used an overcrowded truck with a lot<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> of other migrants. It was very dangerous and risky. I walked days from<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Garowe to Gardo, and so many days from Gardo to Bossaso. I had <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">no water, no food. It was very expensive for me because I didn\u2019t have<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> enough money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I came here with no money<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> My plan was to cross the sea to Yemen and<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> then travel to Saudi Arabia. The first month after my arrival in this city <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">was not good. I had no one to help me, I had no shelter and no money,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> even for food. I was living on the side of the road and was begging to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> get something to eat from the local people. It was very rough and I was <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">very desperate. I had very many challenges, but I was receiving a little<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> assistance from my fellow migrants.<\/span> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I did not know the language also <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">and had no friends or family to help me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Fortunately, and unfortunately at the same time, I failed to get money <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">[for the journey to Yemen] from my family and friends because of the<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> economic and political problems back home. I tried to get work, but I<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> did not get it at first. One day, I walked to the city and I found someone <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">from Gondar who told me that one of my relatives was in Bossaso. That man was working in a barber shop owned by a Somali man. I told him that I was looking for a job and fortunately because I had a barber shop back home I was very good at it. He told me to join them and eventually I become a permanent employee. I was planning to get some money that could get me to Saudi Arabia, but after a month of work I realised that this job could sustain both me and my family back home, so I decided not to go anywhere else and stayed here to feed my family.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Now I live with the friends I work with in the barber shop. They come <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">from same city as me; that\u2019s why I live with them. My living conditions<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> are very good because I receive a monthly salary. I have a good number <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">of clients and people especially request my services and they prefer me <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">to cut their hair. Now I am the manager of the barber shop. I work from <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">morning to midnight, and I receive a good salary from it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">The local people are good and friendly people<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">, and I have reliable<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> security in the city. I have friends from all sectors of society because I <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">deal with them all time, from elders, to police, government officials,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> business people and ordinary people. I feel secure here. People here are<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> very flexible and very helpful. If I have a problem, I ask them to help and<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> they help me all the time. They are very open with no discrimination. I\u2019ve <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">survived so far with no [outside] assistance. But now I work and I earn <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">money from my work, so I\u2019m able to sustain myself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">My dream is to bring my family here because of the war in Ethiopia<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">.<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> I am planning to bring them here and to start on my own business. My<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> dream is to start my own barber shop here and to open other branches<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> in this city and in the other city in this region.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">When I first got here, I thought that I would end up with nothing and was <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">worrying about my future, but now I am successful, and I\u2019d like to tell my<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> fellow migrants not to make that risky journey to Saudi Arabia, but to <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">start finding jobs here. Here they can get jobs. They should not give up<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> looking for jobs, they should be patient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-more\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-less\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read less<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #009999;\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">From Venezuela to Colombia: &#8220;If a door closes, a window opens&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"su-expand su-expand-collapsed su-expand-link-style-default\" data-height=\"100\"><div class=\"su-expand-content su-u-trim\" style=\"color:#333333;max-height:100px;overflow:hidden\"><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I knew I needed to migrate.<\/span><\/strong> <span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I left Venezuela about four years ago<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> mainly for economic reasons. I was studying for two degrees at private<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> universities. I worked, but my job didn&#8217;t give me enough money to pay<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> for college. It just became impossible for me to afford both eating and<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> studying. I also had a son. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Everything was scarce. If we ate, I couldn&#8217;t buy a pair of flip-flops <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">because I would spend my entire paycheck on that. You couldn&#8217;t buy a<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> soda because the soda costs more than a chicken. If you went to a park,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> you had to spend more than a paycheck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I originally planned to go to Peru<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>,<\/strong> because it was better-off economically.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> People would tell me that over there I could make good money and it was<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> better for sending remittances to your family. But I didn\u2019t have enough<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> resources to get to Peru, or acquaintances there. I was completely alone.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> Then one of my neighbours migrated to Colombia and he helped me to<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> come here to Barranquilla.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I migrated by myself, travelling all the way by bus or car. My first time<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> crossing the border into Colombia I was very afraid, because I didn&#8217;t <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">know anybody. In that moment, your life depends on a bunch of people<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> you don\u2019t know. They can do whatever they want with you, because <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">nobody notices. That was the most horrible experience of my life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I met someone here, who became my partner, and after a year we began<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> planning to go to Peru, to where my father had moved in the meantime. <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">But as we were organising the trip, I discovered I was pregnant, so we<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> decided to stay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">In the beginning, my life in Colombia was very hard<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> During my first<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> months here, I was very depressed. I cried every day because I had left<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> my son behind in Venezuela. The only job I could get, making juice in a <\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">fruit store, paid just 8,000 Colombian pesos ($2) for half a day\u2019s work.<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> I knew that at that rate I wasn&#8217;t going to make it, and at that time you<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> wouldn\u2019t hear of organisations that were helping migrants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Venezuelan diplomas are worthless here<\/span><\/strong><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>.<\/strong> I\u2019ve had plenty of work,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> as a waitress, cleaning houses and making desserts for a restaurant,<\/span><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"> but although I sent my CV everywhere, I found no formal job. Potential employers always ask me if I was Venezuelan. Before I got my permit, they would ask me if I had my paperwork and since my passport had expired, they would never call me back. Even now that I am regular, I see no real difference with regard to finding a job. In terms of healthcare, it is easier, they treat you better when you go to a hospital, like a citizen, you notice the difference. But for work it hasn&#8217;t helped me much. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">So when one organisation [that was offering a few weeks\u2019 work conducting interviews] asked for all my documents, I had a feeling that this was going to be my great opportunity. Every night I prayed and when I spoke with my mum, I remember I told her: \u201cMum, if I don&#8217;t get this job, I&#8217;m never going to have a chance in life.\u201d When I got the job, researching urban migration, it was more than just an opportunity: it was the chance to believe in myself again, to feel useful again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>Barranquilla has given me a lot.<\/strong> It gave me my family, I have my home here. There are also things here that we could not access in Venezuela: here, with a little money, you can go to the park and buy an ice cream; you can&#8217;t do that there. Even if you don&#8217;t have health insurance, if it\u2019s an emergency, they will assist you. If I ever want to go back to Venezuela, it will be very difficult because I feel that I could not adapt anymore. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I have many dreams right now. I would like a job, a formal job. I want it with all my heart because my husband didn\u2019t study and he doesn&#8217;t have many opportunities, he is a recycler. I feel that I at least have a little more knowledge, but I have the disadvantage that I am Venezuelan. I feel that if I had a formal job, with all my benefits, I could progress, we could progress as a family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><strong>I don&#8217;t consider my migration as a failure<\/strong> because look at all the beautiful things I have: my family, my daughter, we have a roof over our heads, we have food. I have been able to support my family back home. Despite everything, I also feel like I have been able to integrate into society. The only thing I would need to be completely happy is to have my mum and my son here with me. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">I don\u2019t allow feelings of anguish and failure to overcome me. If you feel that you are here for a goal, you can do it. If a door closes, a window opens. It&#8217;s all about searching and searching.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-more\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"su-expand-link su-expand-link-less\" style=\"text-align:left\"><a href=\"javascript:;\" style=\"color:#0088FF;border-color:#0088FF\"><span style=\"border-color:#0088FF\">Read less<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following stories were originally compiled for the Mixed Migration Review 2021 and have been reproduced here for wider access through this website\u2019s readership. From Ethiopia to Khartoum: \u201cI had to choose between money and safety.\u201d From Afghanistan to Indonesia: \u201cWe all have different journeys in life.\u201d From Cameroon to Mali: \u201cI couldn&#8217;t have dreamed&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[187,71,88,213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drivers-of-migration","category-economy","category-protection-and-risks","category-social-networks","region-asia","region-eastern-and-southern-africa","region-north-africa","region-west-africa","country-afghanistan","country-colombia","country-ethiopia","country-indonesia","country-mali","country-somalia","country-sudan","country-venezuela","writer-mixed-migration-centre"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8943"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8963,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8943\/revisions\/8963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.maisoninteractive.com\/mixedmigrationcenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}