Search:

Tough life of illegal immigrants in Germany

[ Posted On: 2006-09-13 ]

To the German government, he is an illegal immigrant. But other Kenyans in Berlin call him Tom. However, he confides that this may not be his real name.

Tom grew up in Makongeni, Nairobi, and then he moved to Berlin at the invitation of a relative. But he and the relative fell out and he was left to his own means. Jobless and with nowhere to turn, he soon found himself in the "manheim" at Potsdam on the outskirts of Berlin. A manheim is a home for refugees.

Here, he changed his name, his nationality and the story of his life. He even concealed his passport to hide his true identity and ensure that he was not deported. One cannot be deported if one does not have a known nationality.

"The manheim is in the middle of a forest," he says. "They expect us to live there. They give us 250 euros (Sh24,000) for sustenance every month. We are not supposed to work or leave the heim but I go out there at the end of the month to collect the money," says Tom. He is now living with his German girlfriend in a Berlin suburb. The two have a child together.

His friends - most of them illegal immigrants - consider him lucky. For many unskilled African men seeking better prospects in Germany, putting a German woman in the family way is the best ticket to securing employment, or the papers allowing you to work and live there.

The rule was meant to ensure that a father provides for his child until the child attains the age of 18. But the law comes in handy for illegal immigrants, be they from East or West Africa.

For them, it means that they are assured of a job, and probably a residence permit, for as long as they have a child to look after. By the time 18 years end, some will have been given residence permits while others hope to have made enough money to enable them return home, build a house and probably start a business.

The desire to get a German spouse is putting pressure on discos in Berlin. It is extremely difficult to dance because every black man on the floor is interested in proposing to the next German woman. And there is no time to waste. No sooner is his offer rejected than he moves on to the next woman and another man takes his place.

"You cannot get a girlfriend this way," I tell a man sitting to my right. To my left is a slim German girl, probably resting after finding no place to tap her feet on the dance floor.

"How long have you been in Berlin?" the man asks in a heavy West African accent.

"Two weeks," I reply.

To which he says: "No wonder", implying that I would soon be hopping from girl to girl in discos - in search of papers. After a while, he asks: "Are you two together?" We swap places. The hunt must go on.

A graduate of Egerton university, who studied for a masters degree in Switzerland, says the story is the same in Switzerland discos, and probably other European cities.

Clearly, the trend is a threat to the family as an institution in Europe because the immigrants marry, not for love, but for want of work and cash to send back home to poor relatives. And no sooner is the residence permit posted to them than many divorce their spouses and invite the loves of their lives from "back home". The cycles goes on.

Now, countries like France are changing the rules on marriage.

Writing in the April issue of D+C, a German publication, freelance journalist Nathalie Gillet said the French government regards marriages of French citizens with foreigners abroad as a problem. She reports: "In future, marriage to a French partner would no longer give an automatic right to residence in France. It will also be investigated whether these are 'sham' marriages".

Often, students in Berlin are invited to parties to celebrate the 'unions' but they are advised not to carry gifts or take the ceremony seriously. "It is for papers," say the verbal invites. And the marriages are not only for Africans and Germans. They also involve eastern Europeans, Latin Americans and other people of nationalities outside the European Union who find it difficult to get jobs without the right papers. Some even have to pay the spouse a fee and sign an agreement detailing the terms of their union.

A story is told of a "lucky" Kenyan woman who married a "pena" in Berlin. Pena refers to destitutes who live in the streets or train stations. According to the legend that is popular among Kenyans, the woman cleaned up the pena one day and led him to the registrar of marriages. But no sooner had the marriage been solemnised than the man abandoned her and returned to his old ways. Four years later, when she was informed that "her husband" had died, she had to break down in tears. Many say she was among the few who had found her permit the easy way because she did not have to put up with him and he never bothered her.

But back in the villages, many relatives are happy that their children are living and working abroad.

"My son is in Europe," a proud mother says, oblivious of the troubles that her son, like other illegal immigrants there, finds himself in. And when her neighbour hears this, she organises a fundraising. Her son, too, must go to Europe.

Risking everything to cross over to Europe

With European embassies tightening their visa rules, more Kenyans are devising new strategies to go around them and land in Europe - never mind the expense.

They will find organisations to invite them, spouses to reunite with or other undertakings that will convince the immigration officers to stamp their passports with a visa.

And every morning, huge lines form outside embassies, with hundreds of people hoping to get visas. But every morning, hundreds are turned away after paying hefty visa fees. Many do not mind the cold and the expense. They hope that they will find a better officer the next time round or their luck will come, one way or another.

But in other parts of Africa, particularly Mauritania and Morocco, trafficking of immigrants to Spain has become more lucrative than drug trafficking.

Usually, those wishing to catch a rickety boat to the Canary Islands in Spain pay the operators and their agents a heavy fee in the hope that they will be delivered to the other shore where the grass is greener. And once in Spain, they can catch a bus or train to other parts of Europe.

Others prefer the Mediterranean Sea and, after perilous journeys of upto 10 days, they land on the shores of Italy.

Often, many do not make it that far as they often drown in the seas, die of dehydration or are intercepted by police.

Now Spain is asking the rest of Europe to step in and help control the flow of illegal immigrants, especially from Africa.

Last weekend, 670 illegal immigrants were intercepted in one day, setting a new record. According to reports, more than 20,000 Africans have been intercepted in the sea while trying to cross over into Europe illegally.

With unemployment and poverty rising in many African nations, more are expected to make the risky trips which sometimes involve swimming across miles of tempestuous seas after walking for days on end in the desert Ñ all in search of their daily bread.

Ms Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Germany's Federal minister for Economic Co-operation and Development since 1998, says: "We must pursue the fight against global hunger and poverty with determination, and press ahead with implementation of the Millennium Development Goals".

Lack of prospects

While calling for a change in Europe's policy on immigration, she adds: "Our common goal is that no one should be driven to migration by a lack of prospects in their native country".

As part of efforts to find lasting solutions, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan last year set up the Global Commission on International Migration. The commission proposed various ways of ending the illegal immigration crisis by urging, among other things, that countries work together to control the flow of immigrants by addressing the causes of immigration, including poverty, bad governance and insecurity, which force people to flee their homelands.

Last week, UNFP released a report saying that women and youth were the most affected by illegal immigration.

But as governments dilly-dally with the search for lasting solutions, more people continue to risk their lives and their savings, hoping that those who survive the perilous trips will find better prospects abroad, not knowing they are grasping at a mirage.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

Author: Ng'ang'a Mbugua (09-13-2006)

| View Profile & All Articles By: Nganga Mbugua |

		Post Comment
		Blog This Article!
		Discuss Article in Forum(s)
		Publication \| Reprint Terms

Please Rate this Article

# of Ratings = 3 | Rating = 3.3/5

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive African Insights Articles Via RSS!

| Category Feeds | All-in-one Feed | Other Feed & Syndication Options |

Additional Articles From - Home | Afro Issues | African Insights

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email To Friends
	Ezine Ready \| Syndication
	Make PDF Article
	Post To del.icio.us
	Post To Furl
	Add To Google Bookmarks
	Submit To Netscape
	Add To Yahoo! My Web
	Add Main Feed To Outlook
	Post to BookMarks @ AfroArticles.com

	Post To BookMarkAfrica.com

Site Home

Article Categories

More Search Options

Site Map

Submit Articles

Top Authors

Most Recent Articles