This Ghanaian journalist cycled to the UK to champion safe migration

desmond frimpong

October 20, 2017 5:22 PM

Globally, illegal migration remains a historic human phenomenon that continues to worry humanity and world leaders alike.

Ghanaian journalist Kwame Nyantakyi Oti cycled from Denmark to the UK to champion safe migration

The award-winning journalist is currently studying War and Conflict Journalism at Swansea University in the UK.

Kwame's cycling covered 888.5 miles, through Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Calais in France.

‘‘It is important that you don’t end up in places like Calais. If you want to migrate, I am not saying people should not migrate, because migration has been with human beings since the beginning of time. It is important to go through the right channels to migrate,” he told Africanews’ Ignatius Annor.

At the Calais refugee camp, he had a firsthand experience of the conditions of the refugees trying to enter Europe. Oti said the world has forgotten about refugees here after the camp gained fame for its closure in 2016.

‘‘There are about 200 people who live in what used to be the Calais jungle. It is a jungle literally because they live in the forest day and night. And there are no tents, they live under deplorable conditions. The only way by which they survive is through the kindness of some Red Cross officials whom I happen to have seen when I visited Calais.

“And this trip has shown me that Calais is something we need to talk about. In the minds of the world, Calais does not exist, but in reality, it does. There are people there who need our help. Regardless of the conditions under which they migrated.

“I think that it is an aberration on the conscience of people that we allow our fellow human beings to be under the conditions that they are in Calais. We need to have that conversation,” he said.

desmond frimpong