45 - Where Do These People Come From ? Routes of Desperation

2023 No 45

David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
—1 Chronicles 21:13

If there was anyone who knew the grace of our Lord, it was David. He was the least in Israel, but had been chosen to be king. In the years that followed, he enjoyed all the richness of his royal position and had the Lord's hand of blessing upon his life. Israel had been surrounded by war, and yet she stood time and again only by the grace of God. But despite all of God's goodness, David still fell into the trap of comparison. Satan had whispered in his ear that more was better, and that desire had led him to sin.¹ As he, and his people, faced the consequences of that sin, he offered a response to the Lord's judgment... "let me fall into the hand of the Lord". (Which, by the way, was a comparison!)

In our previous post, we described those immigrants who had come to Morocco for all the right reasons. They believed they had an opportunity to go to school, find a job, and perhaps live a better life. They had migrated to the North legally and, for the most part, had the blessing of the Lord upon their movements. Today, in Morocco, local pastors can see them in the community and perhaps even envision the church engaging them in a way that would lead them to Christ. Our last post was written to help these churches understand more about these migrants.

But there is another group of migrants just outside the doors of the Moroccan church. They are different from those whose destination was Morocco. Their dream is to go further… Europe. Because they could not do so legally, they decided at some point in the past to pay a smuggler to get them there by any means possible. Satan had whispered in their ears that the grass was greener somewhere else, and they took the bait. For most, it was a poor decision that has led to significant distress in their lives.

When we speak of the Western Mediterranean Route, we are focusing on those SSA migrants who set their sights on Spain... and therefore must transition through Morocco and parts of Algeria to get there. It is their "intention" that makes them a part of this route, despite the fact that the vast majority will not ever arrive in Europe. The people of the WMR are those in transit, and they can be found across the Maghreb.² They live in camps in the forests and as squatters in most urban centers. They are obvious to every pastor and they certainly create a challenge for the local church to minister in their lives. As in our previous post, understanding where they come from is often a great place to start.

Not the Best Choice

It is key to remember that those who follow the Western Route to Europe do so by choice. Often it comes down to a financial decision driven by particular circumstances. Living in sub-Saharan Africa is difficult, and we have learned that everyone moves for a reason.³ There are times when circumstances mandate movement. Refugees are a classic example. Seldom, however, are these individuals forced to move to North Africa for survival. They may have been involuntarily displaced within a region... but they landed in a relatively safe space. It may not be comfortable, and the economics may be worse than they had back home, but they are now "safe" per the legal definition of a refugee.⁴ Subsequent movements are entirely voluntary and seldom qualify for asylum. So what does that look like?

From the East: There are those who make their way across North Africa, having passed through Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. They are by far the minority of all illegal immigrants in Morocco. These are those who had made it to Libya along the Central Mediterranean Route, and survived the horror.⁵ But after a season in Libya, they knew they would never make it to Italy. They had found jobs along the way that allowed them to make the journey west (towards Morocco) in small steps. Ultimately, they arrive, find a place to stay, and seek to gain enough money to pay for the trip across the Mediterranean.

From the Coastal South: A major coastal highway crosses from sub-Saharan Africa into North Africa. It must pass from Senegal, across Mauritania, and into the Western Sahara. It passes through some very desolate areas. Needless to say, it is heavily monitored, and border security is very tight. It is practically impossible for illegal immigrants to use this route without the assistance of smugglers. Occasionally, boats from the south land on Moroccan beaches. Most were headed for the Canaries on the Atlantic route. When this happens, they are quickly apprehended and returned to Mauritania or Senegal. From time to time, one may slip through the system and make their way into northern Morocco.

From the Southeast: The most common route for illegal entry into Morocco is the southeast. This pathway takes migrants through some of the initial territories as the Central Migration Route. By allowing all feeder streams to enter either Gao (Mali) or Agadez (Niger), front-end smuggling networks can share common resources for both the CMR and the WMR. The difference is that once they are at the edge of the Sahara Desert, they can be routed west through Algeria rather than northeast into Libya. Once they reach the Mediterranean, they can enter Morocco at a city called Oujda.

If you look at a map, one may ask why Oujda? Would it not be easier to enter southern Morocco and then make one's way north? Such might be true if it were not for two elements… geography and politics. Geographically, the Atlas Mountains divide the country from the southwest to the northeast. This creates a natural barrier across the country, with high mountain passes easily controlled by authorities. The politics, however, have created another very effective barrier. It is called the Moroccan Western Sahara Wall.

When Spain ended its occupation of the Western Sahara in 1975, guerrilla fighters of the Polisario Front demanded independence. They represent the region's Sahrawi people and they continue to fight with Moroccan forces even today. Morocco has built a series of seven walls to protect her claimed territories. They are heavily fortified berms that span some 1,600 miles (2,500 km) along the edge of the Sahara Desert. They are only about six feet high, with an accompanying trench of several feet. But... it has military posts every 3-5 kilometers… it is heavily patrolled… it has a series of overlapping radars, and… the region is heavily mined. Migrant crossings in this region would be suicidal.⁶ Thus, all routes through the desert lead north towards the Algerian coastline with a border crossing at Oujda. But, in an odd way, this is a region where both sides can better control border crossings. Keep in mind that although these migrant entries are illegal, they could only happen with the knowledge and manipulation of authorities.

Despite being more expensive, the journey across the Algerian desert is similar to that of the Central Mediterranean Route. The suffering is high, and the losses are still unimaginable. On the positive side, however, the route across Algeria does not involve Libya's factions, jihadists, and warlords. The conditions upon arrival are also significantly better than on the CMR. Such makes this pathway an easier "sell" by the smuggling networks. Once in Morocco, there are few to exploit the migrants. That does not mean that their lives are easy; it just means to say that survival comes with less suffering.

So Who Are They?

Statistically, the Central Mediterranean Route (CMR) draws individuals from almost all of sub-Saharan Africa, while the Western Mediterranean Route (WMR) is followed predominantly by those from West Africa. Most begin the journey with a bit of naivety. Although they have known hard financial times, they are unprepared for the harsh realities of human smuggling. It is interesting how many testify that they left home simply to go to North Africa and find a job. At the time, they did not even consider Europe as an option. But at each step along the way, they suffer abuse, poor wages, and some measure of exploitation. Unable to return home due to shame, they continue to listen to Satan's voice and press forward. I have spoken to many in Morocco who would go home if they could, but social pressures block their pathways. Unable to forge a life in North Africa, they set their sights on Spain.

In contrast to other migration routes, there are not many women along the WMR. Why? Perhaps because it is well known that there are not many suitable jobs in North Africa for women. Such would be a hard sell for a smuggler. Traffickers typically do not use the WMR, at least not to the same degree as the CMR. Along the CMR, there are a host of illegal networks to facilitate movement. Such would be more difficult to secure in Morocco.

Those women who do follow the WMR typically have their eyes set on Europe from the very outset. They imagine they could find work in the hotel industry along the Mediterranean or on the farms of southern Spain. However, they soon discover that the road is dangerous and difficult. Like their male counterparts, they lose their money early and are forced to make their movements incrementally. Once on the road, they cannot turn back, and the price of forward passage is often forced prostitution. By the time they finally arrive in Morocco, many are pregnant.⁷

The presence of WMR migrants in Morocco is prominent. When you drive through the countryside, you see them along the side of the highway, often begging for food. They live in camps in the forests and shacks among the rocks. They support themselves by begging on the road and scavenging through the trash. In the same way, if you walk the cities, you will see SSA migrants on the street corners asking for money. The women, and sometimes the men, will have small children at their side. (Born to pregnant mothers when they arrive.) By God's grace, they survive through the Moroccan people's sympathy and the Islamic faith's hospitality. We will hear their stories in more detail in our next series of posts.

And the Next Step… Spain?

In that I am writing from Morocco, I can look outside my own door and see the migrants on the streets. Most have a desire for Spain, and a few will actually make it. Having driven many of the country roads of Spain, I have met those who have "successfully" arrived in Europe. They were those who had enough money, found the right people, and secured a safe passage across the Mediterranean. They are indeed the lucky ones. Why do I say this? Because for each one who made it to a European beach, there may have been a dozen who died along the way.

Despite their fortune, few find the life of which they had dreamed. For many, Spain has proven to be a weak counterfeit for what they were promised. Far too often, it has become yet another place of suffering. The low-paying jobs in the greenhouses differ from what they expected and are often nothing more than servitude. The women pressed into the brothels of the Sun Coast live a life far worse than anything they experienced back in West Africa. Most would go home if they could, regretting their decision to take that first step. All but a rare few are trapped, ensnared by a dream they once held dear.

Conclusion: A View From the Church

When they left home, most of these young adults were considered to be bearers of hope. They were heros! Like David, they had come from some of the least likely of places. Somehow, they had enough resources to pay a smuggler for the journey north. And although they possessed more money than almost anyone in their community, they... or their family... chose to risk it all on a dream for greener pastures. As is often the case, it was nothing more than a demonic, worldly whisper. They took a chance, took a step, and most lost everything. They are now in a foreign land, hoping against all hope that God will hear their prayers.

Their story is sad to hear. And yet, we often share with them that they are not alone... and that their prayers are indeed being heard. The fact that they have arrived in Morocco is a testimony to God's grace. The fact that there is a thriving church in the land defies all odds. Together, however, it reveals His purpose and provision to bring the gospel to the lost. The fact that you are reading this means that their stories will not go unnoticed. Above all, it means that others are joining with their prayers to the One who can bring life to all things.

¹ In the previous verses, the scripture says that Satan moved David to number Israel. The most likely reason for this was either an act of pride… or a lack of faith that God could continue to deliver. Either way, it was a grave sin before God.

² The Maghreb describes most of North Africa, particularly the Western half.

³ M. Augustus Hamilton, "Principle Two: Everyone Moves for a Reason – Community Expectation", M2M3 https://m2m3.org/14/ (accessed January, 27, 2023).

⁴ Refugees are persons who are outside their country of origin for reasons of feared persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or other circumstances that have seriously disturbed public order and, as a result, require international protection. The refugee definition can be found in the 1951 Convention and regional refugee instruments, as well as UNHCR’s Statute. The Dublin Agreement created a requirement that asylum seekers must be registered in their first safe country of entry. That has been interpreted to include non-EU states. See United Nations, "Refugees and Migrants" https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/definitions#:~:text=and “migrant”%3A-,Refugee,a result%2C require international protection. (accessed February 2, 2023). See also See also, Amnesty Internatinal, "Refugees, Migrants and Asylum", Amnesty International, UK https://www.amnesty.org.uk/truth-about-refugees (accessed February 2, 2023).

⁵ M. Augustus Hamilton, "The Horrors of Libya", M2M3 https://www.m2m3.org/32-the-horrors-of-libya/ (accessed September 26, 2022).

⁶ Kaushik Patowary, "Moroccan Wall: The Longest Minefield in the World", Amusing Planet https://www.amusingplanet.com/2017/03/moroccan-wall-longest-minefield-in-world.html (accessed January 27, 2023).

⁷ Arezo Malakooti; Chiara Fall, Migration Trends across the Mediterranean: Piecing Together the Shifting Dynamics (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), 2020), Pg 40, 46.