Nana K, a Ghanaian migrant, recently shared his perilous journey from Ghana to Spain through the desert and Mediterranean Sea. He is currently in Tenerife, Spain, with 50 other Ghanaians.
Nana K left Ghana on January 21, 2024, traveling to Tunisia before heading to Mauritania, where he was told there was a connection to Spain. He took a car from Circle in Accra, spending three days traveling through Benin to Ouagadougou, then to Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, Bamako in Mali, and finally Mauritania’s capital, Nouakchott.
Within six days, he secured a boat connection to Spain. The journey was treacherous—he and 14 others set off, but five died at sea and had to be thrown overboard. The cold weather was unbearable, causing high fevers among some passengers. Their captain had no GPS, so they got lost at sea for five days before eventually reaching Morocco. Seeking help, they turned themselves in to the police, only to be deported back to Ghana.
Determined to make it, Nana K spent a month in Ghana before returning to Mauritania, where he hustled for eight months to raise money. He worked in Akjoujt, then returned to Nouakchott to try again.
On his second attempt, he finally reached Spain on January 21, 2024. This time, he had made better financial arrangements—he left money at home, which was later sent to him at key points along the journey. In Mauritania, authorities arrest only people, not vehicles, so travelers must pay bribes to cross borders.
In Mauritania, 1,000 people were waiting to cross to Spain, but Ghanaians were charged higher fees than Malians or Senegalese. Nana K paid 450,000 CFA (about GHC 20,000) to a connection man. The boat he traveled on was made of fiberglass and carried 80 people. Of the six Ghanaians on board, three lacked money and had to stay behind in Mauritania.
Many migrants underestimate the cost of the journey, thinking GHC 10,000 is enough. However, most spend far more. He compared the experience to “sika duro” (money rituals), where one either makes it or dies trying.
At one point, Nana K worked in illegal mining (galamsey) in Mali, where he earned GHC 25,000, which helped fund his journey. However, there are no real jobs in Mauritania besides occasional masonry work. He hid his mining earnings in his boxers to avoid being robbed.
The final boat trip to Spain was the safest—they were 50 people, and no one died. However, traveling through the Moroccan Sahara Desert was grueling. They walked three hours to the seaside, carrying only three bottles of water and a few biscuits for the six-day sea journey.
The Morocco-Mauritania desert is a lawless land with no police presence, making it a hotspot for armed robberies. Migrants waiting to board boats often sleep on the ground, where Spanish helicopters search for them. One night, border guards fired warning shots, forcing them to flee, leaving behind their phones and food.
Armed robbers, including Senegalese and Malians, frequently attack migrants. Once, Nana K and his group abandoned a Ghanaian woman to robbers and fled. Women face extreme danger, including sexual assault.
Money transfers to Mauritania are unreliable—Western Union does not work, and even mobile money transactions are risky, as Ghanaians often scam each other.
Many migrants never make it to Spain. At sea, some hallucinate, hearing voices or music, and jump into the water to their deaths. Nana K himself heard a voice telling him to jump because he was exhausted. He also saw mirages, like buildings appearing and disappearing in the distance.
Despite the dangers, his group eventually reached Spanish waters, where they activated GPS and an offline map to call for rescue. The Spanish police welcomed them warmly, providing food, medical care, and clothing.
Now in a Spanish refugee camp, Nana K and his fellow migrants receive three meals a day and free healthcare but have not yet started working. He feels at peace and is grateful for the hospitality of the Spanish authorities.
He advises Ghanaians not to take his route, as more people die at sea than those who make it.
Nana K has a wife and child in Ghana, but he never told his wife the truth about his journey. His two friends in Spain send him money, which he sends to his wife and child. When she heard he had arrived safely, she went to church to thank God.
Though Spain offers new opportunities, he warns that without prayers and luck, the journey is deadly.
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