"It scares me, but only God will decide," said the 21-year-old Malian. "There's no work here" she added. "Now I want to go to France".
'God will decide' say migrants waiting to make perilous crossing from Libya to Italy
Dispatch: In Zuwara, the Libyan port where people traffickers ship thousands of migrants to Europe – and often to their deaths – the queues of the desperate keep growing
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Migrants, who were trying to reach Greece, are rescued by members of the Greek Coast guard and locals near the coast of the southeastern island of Rhodes
Migrants, who were trying to reach Greece, are rescued by members of the Greek Coast guard and locals near the coast of the southeastern island of Rhodes Photo: REUTERS/Argiris Mantikos/Eurokinissi
By Hassan Morajea in Zuwara
8:33PM BST 21 Apr 2015
Abiento knows that perhaps 1,000 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean since Sunday, yet she is awaiting her turn to make the crossing.
"It scares me, but only God will decide," said the 21-year-old Malian. "There's no work here" she added. "Now I want to go to France".
Abiento spoke in the Libyan town of Zuwara, where smuggling migrants to Europe is big business . Almost everyone seems to play a role, whether as driver, shelter-keeper, or provider of boats. The constant flow of desperate travellers from Africa and the Middle East keeps the town alive .
Abiento left her four siblings and her unemployed father in Mali six months ago to hunt for work in Libya. Having failed to find a job, she is determined to reach Europe and support her family – whatever the risk.
"My mother died and my father doesn't work," she said. "I'm the oldest of my siblings, so I'm the one responsible for the family. That's why I left Mali."
Zuwara is the Libyan coastal town positioned closest to Italy, hence its status as the hub for migrants. The traffickers say their business depends on their customers arriving safely.
The body of a migrant is carried ashore in Malta (Reuters)
The smuggler who is arranging for Abiento's passage is in charge of a small stretch of the Mediterranean coast. He is currently expecting another 70 migrants to arrive from the capital, Tripoli, representing a fraction of those who wanted to come. But the trafficker refused to take the rest because his boats do not have enough space.
"I won't send them if it's too dangerous and I know they won't make it," he said. "I have a reputation to keep – my migrants always make it."
The smuggler complained that his competitors "are just addicted to the money," adding: "These are the most lethal – they don't care how many die and send hundreds all the time."
He described himself as being "careful and mindful of the migrants," saying: "We don't like to hear about them dying and we really try our best to make sure they arrive safely."
This year, the smuggler has sent two boatloads: the first carrying 73 people arrived safely in Italy last month; the other made landfall three days ago with 78 passengers on board.
The port town of Zuwara (AP)
"My groups travel first class," added the smuggler, sitting in his home in Zuwara.
Every time a boat sinks, rival gangs of traffickers turn upon one other. Since Sunday's disaster off the Italian island of Lampedusa, when more than 800 people drowned, every group has blamed the next. Exactly where the doomed boat left from in Libya is still unclear. "Why would anyone use you if they think you sent 800 to their death?" added the smuggler.
All vessels trying to reach Europe from western Libya either depart from Zuwara or pass by the town.
The smuggler will send Abiento on her way when the tides are right and space is available.
Until then, she must wait her turn in a safe house along with four other women and 12 men.
Another man – a Malian national who lives in Tripoli – organises the journeys of his compatriots. He coordinates all of their travel and accommodation from the minute they leave Mali until they arrive in Europe.
African asylum seekers rescued from boats and taken aboard an Italy navy ship, June 8, 2014. On current trends, 2015 is on course to far exceed 2014, with 1,600 deaths already this year. (Eyevine)
"If they don't arrive safely, I won't pay the smuggler" he said by telephone from the capital. "We only send the money when our people confirm their arrival."
Safe houses for migrants awaiting passage to Europe are found all over Zuwara. One lies along a dirt road turning off the main coastal highway.
It amounts to a small farm near the Mediterranean shore. Here, some migrants earn money to pay their smuggler by shearing the farm's sheep or caring for livestock.
Victor, a 31-year-old Nigerian, is doing exactly that with the aim of amassing enough cash to pay for his passage. This will be his second attempt to reach Europe. He set out on a small boat last week, only to be intercepted by the coast guard of neighbouring Tunisia.
The erstwhile captain of his boat lost his satellite phone and failed to navigate properly. "The Tunisian coast guard, they catch us," said Victor. "We were two days at sea, because the caption dropped the sat phone into the water."
Victor was arrested by the Tunisian authorities along with 109 other migrants. But he paid a bribe to secure his freedom and walked back to Zuwara, where he is waiting for the chance to try again.
He is inspired by the example of his brother, who managed to reach Switzerland two years ago. "There's lots of work, and I can make money and send for my family," he said. "This is why I will go."
"I'm scared," added Victor. "But I know people make it."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/11553492/God-will-decide-say-migrants-waiting-to-make-perilous-crossing-from-Libya-to-Italy.html
Received on Fri May 29 2015 - 12:15:17 EDT