The plight of Sierra Leonean migrants perpetually on the move

No money, no papers, no jobs

MMC spoke to a teenager from Sierra Leone who migrated through five nations experiencing hunger and insecurity – but also an unlikely kindness – along the way. He was expelled from Mauritania during the recent collective expulsions that started in early 2025, when Mauritanian authorities launched a crackdown on irregular migration, resulting in a fierce expulsion campaign. Between January and April, approximately 30,000 irregular migrants were apprehended in widespread raids and interceptions. These developments follow the 2024 migration partnership signed between Mauritania and the European Union, aimed at curbing irregular migration to Europe.

Migration is hard. I’m doing this to give my parents a better life.

Two years ago, when I was 16, I dropped out of school back home in Sierra Leone. My mother was very sick. I started working in a local coffee shop, but the money wasn’t enough. I always thought I’d migrate someday, but at that moment I had to do it because I wanted to support my parents and help them live a better life. My original destinations were going to be either Italy or Spain, where I could hopefully start school again and play football. But you need a lot of money for the crossing, and then I got stopped a few times by the police when trying to cross.

When leaving Sierra Leone, I bought myself a bus ticket and went to Guinea. I stayed there for two months, working on fishing and sea vessels. Then I went to Mali, again by bus, and then to Algeria. In this case, I didn’t use the bus, because there is a lot of organised crime on the road. My friend put me in touch with a group of smugglers. I paid about CFA 150,000 (approximately USD 265) to cross from Mali to Algeria in a Toyota car. I stayed in Algeria for six months. In Algiers, I worked in construction but got arrested by the police and sent back to Mali. In Mali, I found another job in construction and, when I got enough money, I moved to Senegal.

There were a lot of people struggling and suffering, with no money or food for themselves or their children.

I spent 18 months in Senegal then moved to Mauritania last year. In Mauritania, where I worked again in construction, my goal was to cross to Spain, but I got arrested in Nouadhibou. The Mauritanian police took me to Rosso. Here, they just left us at the border. I was with a lot of my friends, all suffering, with no food, no place to sleep, nothing. There were also a lot of other people struggling, especially women and children, with no money to feed themselves or their kids. There was a garage there where we used to sleep, but they demolished it so they could force us to go back to our country. But, the thing is, they didn’t actually send us back – they just left us stranded there. When I met the police for the second time, as I was trying to cross the river to Senegal, I explained my situation to the police officers and they gave me a note that I could present at checkpoints so they let me pass. It worked, and I thought it was a nice gesture from the policeman to let me through.

The migration route of a teenager interviewed

The only thing I have access to here is football, and that gives me the hope and ambition to move forward.

I left everything in Mauritania – my clothes, my documents, everything. I have nothing on me here in Senegal. When I was there, I heard about the process of applying online for residency and to obtain documents and paperwork, but I did not end up applying. I didn’t have any residency in Mali or Algeria, either. Right now, I don’t have a job, enough money to eat, or a place to sleep. I sleep inside a ship docked at the port. When I was in Mauritania, I used to sleep in the factory where I worked. Here, I’m not alone, because a lot of my friends from Sierra Leone are with me. We all sleep in the same place. I keep looking for a job, we all do, but can’t find anything. Some of my friends beg for money for food to eat. Language is another barrier, because I don’t speak French or Wolof. Not having any ID on me is also making it very hard to find work. The only thing I have access to here is football, and that gives me the hope and ambition to move forward.

Throughout my day, I do not feel safe.

I only feel safe now, during this interview, but throughout my day, I do not feel safe. I have nothing, I am not working. It is very hard. I do not have a problem with the police. I did not witness or commit any crimes, my only problem is not being able to find a job. I have only been here for a month, but the first time I got to Senegal, I managed to find a job with the fishermen. This time, I cannot find any work. Since I left, I’ve had no support, no help from anyone. I do not even have contact with my own family. Nobody has ever sent me money, I do this on my own.

People will continue to move, each one with their own motivations to do so.

The only thing that can change my situation right now is having access to money so I can continue my journey. Money would also give me access to a place to sleep, medical facilities and job opportunities, and all that would make my journey easier. Some of my friends want to come here and do the same thing that I’m doing, but I wish they didn’t. I don’t want the same thing to happen to them. Girls, in particular, are very vulnerable and can get exploited, trafficked for sex or pushed into prostitution.

I want people to know that, if you have enough money for the journey, it’s best to invest it in a business, or in moving regularly, if you can. And if you don’t have money or documents, then you’re going to get stuck in a place where you don’t know anyone, and the situation can be really bad. The thing is, people will continue to move because the situation back home is not good. Some want to reach Spain or Italy to find a job, many die on the road. Migration is really hard.