Personal stories

Hikma's story: Rescued by Open Arms

18-year-old Hikma from Ethiopia fled from Africa to Europe, passing through Libya. Hikma was rescued at sea by the ship Open Arms and disembarked in Italy. She shared her traumatic story with us.

How one woman forced Cyprus to confront the serial killing of female migrant workers

It only took a few clicks to overturn Maria Mapporidou's life. Shocked by the case of a serial killer who targeted foreign female domestic workers, she decided to organize a small demonstration in Nicosia, the Cypriot capital, via social media. Her appeal was answered by thousands of people, sparking a national debate that had political repercussions.

He was deported. But he's determined to return to Europe.

665 Moroccans were deported from Germany in November 2018. Naseem was one of them. Now, he's willing to do whatever possible to return to Germany.

A Sudanese refugee’s open letter to the European Parliament: 'We sleep under the bridges of your beautiful cities'

InfoMigrants recently received an open letter penned by a Sudanese refugee, Ahmad Gamal, that addresses the European Parliament. After being forced to flee his native Darfur, the 27-year-old arrived in France in 2017 and now studies sociology at a university in Lyon. In his letter, Ahmad urges the EU to make its fatal migration policies more welcoming and humane.

'What I went to Europe to find, I already had at home'

After spending seven years in Spain, Issa went back to live in his village in Senegal. He told InfoMigrants that many people who are headed to Europe underestimate how hard life can be for migrants.

Hussein, a Syrian migrant, was the victim of a racist attack: 'They threw Molotov cocktails into the building'

Hussein landed on the Greek island of Leros with his wife and two children in January. After several weeks in a camp, the Palestinian family from Syria was relocated to the mainland. The International Organization for Migration settled them in a hotel in Vilia, a small town near Athens, with about 20 other families. A few hours after their arrival on March 15, the hotel was attacked by local residents. Hussein gave his testimony to InfoMigrants.

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.