Personal stories

Mother Mechthild: 'I am not a criminal'

Mother Mechthild, the German nun who offers church asylum to migrants in the German state of Bavaria, is about to go on trial, for doing just that. She spoke to a local newspaper on Monday, Mittelbayerische Zeitung, about her work.

'We were lost, knee-deep in snow': Paul's overnight journey across the Alps

24-year-old Paul hails from Cameroon. On the night of February 3, 2021, he made his second attempt to cross the Alps into France from neighbouring Italy with a group of four other people. He tells InfoMigrants his story.

'When you enter Romania, you are a dead man walking': Adama recounts the violence perpetrated by Romanian police officers

Adama* contacted InfoMigrants to talk about what he experienced on arrival in Romania. Beaten and humiliated by Romanian police after crossing the border from Serbia, the 36-year-old Malian is still traumatized by the violence he suffered.

'Living in a hotel is terrifying': Fatima, a former unaccompanied foreign minor, spent more than a year in hotel rooms

In January, the French state secretary for children and families announced a future "ban on the placement of children in hotels". The vast majority of young people placed in hotels by the child welfare agency are unaccompanied foreign minors. Fatima*, now an adult, remembers her time being moved from hotel to hotel. This is her story.

Ali, 16: 'At night, I need to keep walking to stop my feet from freezing'

16-year-old Ali comes from Guinea Conakry. He arrived in Paris a few weeks ago and is still trying to get officially registered as a minor. Without a support network or anyone to take care of him, this teenager is struggling to cope. It's especially hard for him to find accommodation, at a time when temperatures are getting colder.

Abdullah Sabra's story: The boy who went to sea

Abdullah Sabra was just 14 when he was sent to sea by his father. After nearly a decade spent working on merchant vessels, he reached a point where he knew he needed to leave the ship. His passage to asylum in Europe however was different from most. Now in Germany, he is hoping to return to sea to help other refugees from the decks of the Sea-Watch.

A Nigerian rider in Rome: James Osawe's story

The coronavirus pandemic has brought challenges for people and countries all over the world. Some businesses however grew during the lockdowns – food delivery services is one example. Nigerian migrant James Osawe is one of Rome’s thousands of delivery riders. German TV channel ZDF accompanied him on a shift in Rome.

A caring profession: From Namibia to Germany

Iyaloo Akuunda is a qualified nurse. She was born in Namibia but she couldn't find work there, so she decided to apply for a job in Germany. Through a recruitment agency and a lot of study, she landed a job in Düsseldorf. DW followed her journey from Namibia to Germany.

Ibrahim: Searching for freedom to live in peace

Ibrahim Kamara left The Gambia and arrived in Cyprus in 2018. Although he didn’t know where Cyprus was, or really intend to land there, he has made the best of his situation. Today he has found happiness and a way to live in peace on the Mediterranean island that has become his new home. InfoMigrants caught up with him by telephone.

How Saman Haddad became a transcultural ambassador in Germany

Saman Haddad came to Germany at the age of 13 as the child of Iraqi refugees. Now, he's a well-known cultural figure in Bonn, unafraid to do things his own way.

Canary Islands: No passports, no papers, and little hope

Moustapha arrived in the Canary Islands in 2006 as part of the previous influx of mass arrivals at that time. He befriended a young compatriot from Morocco who arrived there by boat in November this year.

Leaving Senegal: 'Three of my friends died at sea. I set off the day after they died.'

18-year-old Babacar is one of more than 8,000 African migrants who made his way to the Canary Islands archipelago in November 2020. When InfoMigrants spoke to him, Babacar had just been taken in by a Canary Islands resident who decided to help him.