Personal stories

Studying for a future in Germany

Syrian Mohamad Albayat came to Germany at the end of 2015 aged just 23. A few years later he has begun studying for a master's degree in mathematics in the hope of building his future in his new country. Between determination and loneliness, he tells InfoMigrants about his life in Germany.

Outrage in Germany over deportation of Vietnamese dissident

The deportation of writer and dissident Nguyen Quang Hong Nhan, seen as an "enemy of the people" in Vietnam, has drawn fierce condemnation. Critics called the move "incomprehensible" and decried state "incompetence."

WARNING, STRONG IMAGES: In Libya’s Zintan center, migrants starve to death

InfoMigrants has received shocking photographs depicting emaciated bodies along with chilling testimonies suggesting that several migrants have starved to death in Libya’s Zintan detention center in recent weeks. NGOs have repeatedly sounded the alarm over severe malnutrition in Libyan camps.

Where persecuted writers find refuge

Syrian writer Rabab Haidar had to flee her homeland because she resisted President Assad. She has now found refuge at the Heinrich Böll House in Germany. For World Poetry Day, we look into her story.

Aïcha from Ivory Coast: 'After being married off at 13 and beaten, I decided to change my life'

Before she reached the French port city of Marseille 18 months ago, 29-year-old Aïcha travelled thousands of kilometers to escape violence and death threats in Ivory Coast. Today, the single mother of four dreams of setting up an association defending women’s rights. InfoMigrants met her in the emergency shelter Saint-Just in Marseille where she works as a volunteer.

Sissoko, from Mali: 'I put the child on the edge of the boat for two seconds. When I turned back around, he was no longer there'

For two years, Sissoko, a 31-year-old Malian, has been trying to recover from his crossing of the Mediterranean. Of around 130 people who boarded the ship, 62 died, including all the children on board.

Hell on earth: My illegal journey from Nigeria to Europe

For most young Africans, Europe and Western countries hold the promise of a happy life. Among them was Kelechi Goodluck, a Nigerian now living in Spain. He ignorantly embarked on a dangerous journey from Nigeria to Europe through the Sahara and across the Mediterranean. Things didn’t end up as he thought. He has now written a book about his experiences called 'A Gamble With Death'.

‘I used to have plans for the future, now I just live day to day’

In 2015, *Mohammed was arrested after being accused of selling Christian literature – a crime which carries the death penalty in his native Afghanistan. While in transit to the court, Mohammed managed to escape his captors after Taliban gunmen ambushed the police convoy he was traveling in. Now, he faces imminent deportation back to Afghanistan, because the country in which he sought refuge – Sweden – doesn’t consider his home province a conflict zone.

'I fear Spain will not be the same in a few years from now'

Pakistani migrant Rashid Ali moved to Spain in 2014 after spending almost eight years in Italy. In a conversation with InfoMigrants, he talks about how things are beginning to change for migrants and refugees in Spain as well.

Bleak life for a Moroccan migrant in southern Spain

Migrants working on Spanish farms face hard times due to the back-breaking jobs and low wages they receive. InfoMigrants met a Moroccan woman who struggles to make ends meet.

Arrested for being gay in Nigeria: 'My community is threatening to kill me if I return home'

John* was arrested and placed in custody this summer for homosexuality before eventually being released on bail. Today, threatened with death by his community, he lives in hiding and is thinking of leaving his country.

'I feel like I'm in a giant prison'

Abdelfeteh feels trapped, though he is not actually in prison. He has the right to stay in Italy, he has a job and he speaks good Italian. But due to the Dublin agreement, he feels like he is tied to where he first arrived. Increasing police checks in Italy remind him of his home country, Eritrea. He feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.