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CNN Sunday Morning

Africans Seek Better Lives in Europe

Aired June 03, 2001 - 10:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on "CNN PRESENTS" at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time, a closure look at the treacherous journey many Africans make to get to what they perceive as the promised land of Europe. Here now is a preview for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "EXODUS FROM AFRICA")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This place is almost lifeless, beyond life. Too hot, too dry, too big. If you get it wrong, you can die of dehydration, starvation, being killed by vicious bandits.

The dessert is a gigantic filter. Only the young and strong and those who can pay well make it through.

(on camera): You always travel as light as possible through the dessert. So, bread, a torch for the night, spare tee-shirt, mobile phone. New essential, your contact book. Of course, you need some cash, but just enough water. No one ever carries enough. In fact, nothing, nothing here is anywhere near enough. What you need most of all during this journey is luck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUFFER: Well, joining us now from London is the host of EXODUS FROM AFRICA. He is an award-winning filmmaker and producer, Sorious Samura. We appreciate you being with us today to give us a little taste of what we can expect to see tonight. Thanks so much for being with us.

First of all, can you tell me what it was like to be there in the dessert and try to tell this story. I mean, when you look at the video, it's just so intimidating.

SORIOUS SAMURA, FILMMAKER AND PRODUCER: Well, it's just one of those experiences that you have to buy. I mean, I have always believed that in order to be able to get people to understand and get a feel of what it is, it's better to go through it. And while we were there, in the dessert, you know, I just couldn't believe that, you know, anything should push any human being to want to go through that journey. It was, it was just unbelievable.

STOUFFER: Well, what about the why? As you talked to these people and as you tell this story, why are Africans leaving for Europe? What do they think they're going after? SAMURA: Well, I mean, I always wondered. First of all, I know for certain that the adverts, the commercials, that the West sends or shows to Africa gives Africa the belief that Europe is paved, I mean the West is paved with gold. Everybody believes that if you come to Europe, if you come to America, if you come to the West, that means you get whatever you want. I mean, you'll make money all over the place.

And, as a matter of fact, Africa is like completely finished as there are wars all over the place, famine, you know, so people turn around and think that, well, we have -- there is nothing we can do. They just give up because there are no jobs, no proper education, and so people just think that if you can make it to the land of milk and honey, then that's it. You don't have to complain.

STOUFFER: But what about the other side of that? You think people here in the Western world have misconceptions about why Africans are willing to make the journey? I mean, are these people who just want a better life or people who really have no other way to get some basic needs?

SAMURA: Well, in fact, this is, for me, this is what prompted the documentary, because, I mean, while I was in the U.K. struggling, trying to make a living, I realized that we were being given names. We were being given name tags. We were being called bogus asylum seekers, economic migrants, and somehow we were the people, we are still the people, who are the wheels behind the West. We make the West the work.

And I thought for one moment that, hang on, the West needs to understand really what we are going through, because this story is not new. It has been told before. But no one has ever had from the other side, from the migrants themselves. It's always the West, going there, and coming up with these reports about us being bogus people.

So, I thought let them understand exactly where we're coming from. But they don't quite get it, because everybody just think about the fact that we're here to grab money and ruin the economy of the West.

STOUFFER: Well, I know in your documentary you try to show people the actual journey, and you were able to follow some people. I want to take us back to a short section from your documentary and listen to a part where you talk about the logistics of the trip. Here's that clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "EXODUS FROM AFRICA")

SAMURA (voice-over): Mali and its capital, Burmaco, is the first major staging post on the long road towards Europe. It's a peaceful haven for those fleeing violence, but most are here because they want to escape poverty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUFFER: What part of African are most of these migrants coming from, and why do they end up going through Mali?

SAMURA: About 95 percent do come from West Africa and because Mali is like the central post, I mean, where they can easily reach North Africa and make their way easily to Spain, they just thought -- and again, the Malians are real receptive. I mean, they don't -- the reception is OK with them and they don't hassle their life and, you know, it's just the easiest place where they can dodge authorities and make their way into the West.

STOUFFER: And I know it's a grueling journey from there to get over to Europe, but let's talk for a minute, if we can, about what the Africans are finding once they get to Europe; your personal experience. Just how hard you had to work to make it happen.

SAMURA: This is one reason why I thought it would be good for African politicians, especially, to see this program, so they'll understand what they are pushing their people into. Because it is not just that easy. Everybody -- there are people really who are not that poor back in Africa. I mean, who leave their countries and make it to Europe. They sell all of whatever they have acquired. They leave good jobs, thinking that, you know, all the commercials that they see are real and they make their way.

And then, when they come here, I mean, I have been through it. I had to walk like 24 hours, six days a week, without sleep, I mean, with alarm clock in my pocket just to keep me alive. This is how difficult it is, because before we leave this, before we leave Africa, we're always made promises. I mean, thinking that you'll just come here and find money all over the place and you become a rich man. But it's not true.

STOUFFER: Lots of hard work. And I know you said that you had a message for some politicians, but what about ordinary viewers who may be watching this tonight. What do you want the rest of us to take from this?

SAMURA: Well, I just want to say to people that this is the 21st century. I mean, at the end of the day, what we want, between Africa and America and the rest of the world, is just as useful, genuine partnership. It is a relationship that is not beyond the weight of America and the rest of the world.

I mean, if the West can colonize in the 19th century, surely it is in their power to partner with Africa, seriously, genuinely, I mean, today in the 21st century. I mean, it's not beyond their power.

STOUFFER: A lot of people working very hard to make that happen. Sorious Samura, filmmaker and producer, we appreciate your time today. Thank you.

Again, I want to say that the documentary is on tonight, right here on CNN, 10:00 PM Eastern, 10:00 PM Pacific. It's called EXODUS FROM AFRICA.

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