Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has warned Nigerians considering irregular migration through Libya that the journey could expose them to severe economic hardship, exploitation and other dangers.
Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, gave the warning during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday while discussing his 47-day undercover journey from Kano through Niger to Tripoli.
The journalist said his investigation sought to document the experiences of migrants travelling along the Sahara Route and provide firsthand information to Nigerians considering the journey.
According to Soyombo, some Nigerians facing economic hardship may view irregular migration as an escape without fully understanding the conditions they could encounter after reaching 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,” he said.
He explained that some migrants arrive in Libya only to become stranded after running out of money when attempts to reach Europe fail.
“What happens a lot of time is, they get to Libya, they realise they can’t cross. They are stuck. They run out of funds. Then they have to go into many jobs to at least be able to eat. Then they start saving to cross,” Soyombo said.
The journalist said irregular migrants also face challenges accessing formal financial services, leaving some dependent on cash and potentially vulnerable to theft.
“But don’t forget, you’ve gone into Libya illegally because Libya already criminalised irregular migration. You can’t open a bank account. So you keep cash. Anyone can rob you,” he said.
Soyombo also described conditions he said migrants encountered while working on farms in desert areas, including exposure to extreme temperatures and alleged non-payment for labour.
He recalled an incident during his undercover journey in which, according to him, a group of migrants was stopped by an Arab man who subsequently took some of them to work on a farm.
“The guys that were not fast, he conscripted them to the farm. They worked for like three hours in this scorching sun. And he didn’t pay them a dime,” Soyombo said.
He alleged that the migrants were subsequently robbed of their money before being taken back to the farm.
“Robbed them, took their cash, took them to the farm and he didn’t pay them a dime. Who were they going to complain to? He robbed them and then he enslaved them,” he said.
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Soyombo said the experience demonstrated the vulnerability of migrants who may have limited access to legal protection or support while travelling irregularly.
He also highlighted the harsh environmental conditions along parts of the route, particularly for migrants who take up agricultural work in desert areas.
“The Agadir that was the start of the desert was like 20 degrees centigrade to 32 degrees centigrade. In the desert, you are talking temperatures of 40 and more as you go to farm,” he said.
Despite the difficulties he documented, Soyombo said he did not blame Nigerians who had already travelled to Libya.
“I don’t blame them, I will never sit anywhere and blame anyone who has gone to Libya,” he said, adding that some migrants told him they would not have undertaken the journey if they had known the extent of the difficulties ahead.
The journalist said his investigation was intended partly to help potential migrants understand the risks before making decisions about the route.
“So we have to help people to let them know how that Europe they want to get is extremely difficult,” he said.
Soyombo also stressed that the journey could be significantly longer and more unpredictable than migrants might anticipate.
He said he spent six months preparing for the undercover operation and was initially advised to budget for a 30-day journey, but eventually spent 47 days completing it.
“So for instance, the first thing is that you can never predict that journey. I spent six months preparing for this project. I was told to budget 30 days. I ended up spending 47 days,” he said.
According to him, inadequate information about the route could leave migrants unprepared for the risks they encounter along the way.
“So they embark on that journey not knowing how dangerous it is. It’s far more dangerous than… It’s not a journey I would wish on my enemy,” Soyombo said.
He said documenting his experience was therefore a way of giving Nigerians considering the route access to firsthand accounts of what they could encounter.
“And 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,” Soyombo concluded.