Odyssée vers l’Europe

(en anglais)

La recherche d'une vie meilleure conduit, annuellement, des centaines de milliers d'habitants de pays pauvres à tenter leur chance à l'étranger.

Au cours d'un voyage de 7 semaines , Klaus Brinkbäumer, 39 ans, reporter au SPIEGEL et le photographe Markus Matzel ont retracé l'odyssée vers l'Europe de John Ekow Ampan, un Ghanéen de 46 ans, père de 3 enfants. Avant qu'il ne parvienne à rejoindre l'Espagne, et donc la terre promise que représente l'Union Européenne, Ampan a vécu de nombreuses péripéties, entre autres des déportations et arrestations, tout au long d'un voyage qu'il mit 4 ans à accomplir.

Accompagné du SPIEGEL, Ampan a refait son périple en traçant de nouveau sa route à travers le Togo, le Bénin, le Nigeria, le Niger, l’Algérie, le Maroc et en revisitant les lieux des étapes les plus importantes dans sa quête pour une vie meilleure.

(ci-haut, photo de Markus Matzel. Des immigrants traversent le Sahara pour atteindre l'Europe via l'Algérie.)

Part I: The Long Journey Ahead
John Ampan's Four-Year Journey from Ghana to Europe John Ekow Ampan's trek from Africa to Europe is a tale of desperation. During his four-year journey from Ghana to Spain, he was deported and imprisoned several times, and yet he remained determined to reach the European Promised Land.


Part II: Escaping the Slums of Lagos
The second leg of our journey takes us to Benin and Nigeria.


Part III: Surviving the Sahara on the Way to Europe
The trek is a journey of desperation. And one of the most difficult parts is the long haul across the Sahara Desert. Hundreds set out across the endless sand in pick-ups -- but many never make it.


Part IV: Death and Betrayal in the Sahara
The final leg of the trek across the Sahara can be deadly for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe. In John Ampan's group, 88 set out for Algeria, but far fewer will make it to the country, which skirts the Mediterranean. Human traffickers, it turns out, can also be killers.


Part V: A No Man's Land Between Morocco and Europe
Algeria and Morocco are often the final stations in the migrant's odyssey from Africa to Europe. Some get stuck in cities of the lost like "The Valley" in Algeria. The more resourceful make it to Tangier, where they face racism and the constant threat of arrest.


The Onslaught of the Poor: The New Mass Migration
Today, there are more than 190 million migrants in the world. Many set out in search of adventure, but Africa's poor are fleeing desparation for a life of hope in Europe. Though rarely welcome, neither laws nor walls can stop them from making the dangerous journey. And thousands die each year.