Illegal Immigration - is it Really Worth it?

So it turns out Kenya is a superhighway for Ethiopian immigrants headed to South Africa. Whereas I laud the devoted efforts of the investigative journalists who brought this to light, I am surprised that they expect this to come as a shock to Kenya, Ethiopia and the world? Haven’t we heard of all the other superhighways, from Mexico to the USA by either boat or tunnel, to Europe from North Africa by boat, to the Gulf from Somalia by boat, and many other such places around the world? Not to mention those from China, Eastern Europe and other countries, who ride for days on end via refrigerated trucks to the UK and other West European countries?

Trouble is, all these immigrants risk their lives and sell out personal property in the belief that life is better on the other side where they are going. But is it?

Even assuming they make it to their destination - and many do unless you die on the way or your racket is busted before you do, like the Ethiopians recently apprehended in Nairobi; is the grass really greener than where you came from? Let’s just pause for a moment and explore what is likely to happen here:

For one, you are an illegal immigrant therefore no real chance of getting work. So begins the cat and mouse game of painstakingly acquiring the papers needed to actually work. It’s not possible though as an illegal because the first thing to happen if you’re caught is the detention centre awaiting deportation.

Result? The only other two viable alternatives: Work on someone else’s papers, a friend or an accomplice, (they say we all look alike anyway so many are able to pull it off); or work for lawbreakers who know you are an illegal but will give you work anyway – they just won’t record it or make it official. Of course they’ll pay you peanuts and take advantage. Such is the case of quite a number of Chinese workers, case in point the 21 who drowned at Morecambe Bay picking cockles in the UK a few years back.

Even assuming one does manage to get work, what kind of work are we talking about? Well, you can forget about any snugly office work, or even light work like shop-attendants. We are talking gruelling warehouse jobs, dishwashing, waitressing / silver service (quite an attractive alternative, really), care worker (looking after the elderly and physically impaired persons), cleaning, and other jobs of such calibre. Which, thankfully, are in plentiful supply, but you will be lucky if you can advance to something more worth talking about.

Incidentally much of what is referred to as ‘nursing’ out there is actually care worker, where you do such chores as will leave you without an appetite for a week. Which is okay if nursing is your calling and you enjoy it, but if you simply want to make a quick buck (it pays better than most, care worker), you will find there is a high price to pay in the manner of chores expected of you.

Without a doubt a few manage to break out of the mould and get decent jobs and decent lives, but it’s much like the lottery – where millions play but only a handful of winners!

So is it worth it when you spend your life this way, only to return home when you’re old and weak, probably never having seen your family again, and without any real money to talk about? For don’t imagine it’s easy to save money out there. What with the exorbitant monthly bills! In UK for instance, house rent takes off about half your monthly pay, even when in a house share. While road transport is quite affordable, the tube is a bit of a money guzzler, and to be honest the cheapest mode of transport is probably to have your own car. After all, you can purchase a decent car at a measly Ksh. 40-50000. Yes, I said Kenya Shillings, not Pounds. It’s obviously a second hand, don’t get too excited, but will serve you many years.

The grass does seem greener on the other side as we watch TV and listen to heroic stories of other people. But please get your facts right. If all we are after is good roads, washing machines, cars and good houses, then we have achieved. But if you are looking to better not just your life, but those of those you left behind, and if you do wish to see your family again and have a worthwhile relationship (not an absentee one), then maybe it’s better to wait, for all it’s worth, to travel through the proper channels. And if that doesn’t work, I honestly believe you are better off at home, wherever that maybe.

Unless of course you are running from war or danger, and then any means is acceptable. I guess the Somali have a right to flee their country, one way or the other. Ethiopians, Kenyans and other peaceful countries? I don’t think so. What you can do out there you can do at home. Let’s work to build our own countries, then we will take pride in the development we ourselves have brought about, rather than flying (or riding?) away to enjoy the labour of others. I mean so you drive on good roads and live in good houses in the developed world, but what part did you have in their development? Of course that is debatable, what with all the colonisation, but let’s keep it simple, for arguments sake.

Mark you, even if you do travel legally and get the papers to work, the jobs are not likely to be much different from what I earlier listed, just so you know. The only difference is, you have more room to work your way up and out of those menial jobs, go to school, and get a decent career. That’s what every immigrant out there should aspire to. Big cities come with their own challenges. It is that much harder to break through, and there is little room for weaklings. If you want it, you have to go get it, no one will make it easy for you. After all, in the UK alone, there are about 60 million people competing for what you want. Think about that!