My Journey as a Nigerian Migrant and Ex-asylum Seeker in Sweden

This is a personal story of how I started my journey as a Nigerian migrant and ex-asylum seeker in Sweden. Before anyone misrepresents and misinterprets my intention, I intend to educate and inform those aspiring to move to Europe from Nigeria due to the push factors.
In a week, I receive not less than three messages in my messager from known and unknown people asking me if I can share my experience or advice them on how they could move from Nigeria as soon as possible. I will talk about the reasons for migration and the difficulties that come with it.

Because I wanted to be in a place with better opportunities, which is the main pull factor, the push factors such as insecurity, political, economic and social issues made me decide otherwise to relocate from Nigeria. However, it came with many challenges and obstacles.

The challenges include human factors, the threat from family members, marriage, residence documents, court cases etc.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO BEFORE MOVING FROM NIGERIA TO EUROPE.

Before you move from Nigeria, I suggest you consult with the right people. Having family members in Europe does not guarantee to get the correct information or support.

Because you are in Nigeria, the relationship between you and your family in Europe differs from when you decided to live there.

Your family members might see you as a competitor. That was one of the challenges I faced right from Nigeria and Sweden before I overcame the huddle. Bible reminds us, “The heart is deceitful who can see it.”

INFORMATION IS KING

For international students, education was free in Sweden when I arrived. If I had received information about the university program in Sweden, I would have opted for a student visa right from Nigeria. I have all the requirements to go to Sweden and receive free education.

While at Kadpoly, I earned an HND with a 2:1 and won the Best Student Award in 1997 and 1998. It was unfortunate that I was surrounded by the wrong people. As a result of a lack of information from Nigeria, I ended up seeking asylum in Sweden.

Therefore, I must go to the nightclub day and night, searching for an unknown wife at all costs. Eventually, I found my Swedish wife at an event during the summertime.

We got married in December 2006 (picture attached). During the marriage, a lot was going on in my mind. Why? I needed to go to Nigeria and apply for a resident permit, which is not guaranteed. Eventually, I closed my asylum case and left Sweden for a resident permit visa in Nigeria; a few months later, my wife joined me in Nigeria.

I was in Nigeria for Nine months before I finally got the resident permit to stay in Sweden legally. I arrived in Sweden in September 2007, and two-three months later, my wife divorced me. I faced many challenges for four years before I overcame them, as my family members who lived in Sweden worsened the situation.

This is a journey I would not advise any aspiring migrant who wants to leave Nigeria to come with a visiting visa because you may end up as an asylum seeker.
If you want to relocate from Nigeria, the best advice I could give anyone is to come on a student visa, employment visa, or live legally with a spouse who resides in Europe (marriage).

What are the challenges of migrating from Nigeria to Europe?

Moving from Nigeria to Europe is not an easy task. You will have to face many challenges, especially in the beginning. If you come in with visiting visa, you will need to struggle for a resident permit, unlike those who come on a student visa, employment visa or living with a spouse visa.

Before you leave Nigeria with a visiting visa, here is the implication.
I will group the Nigerians who had moved with visiting visas from the 80s till date into three groups and discuss the challenges you will face.

GROUP 1

First, the Nigerian group arrived in Europe during the 80s and 90s. Before they left Nigeria, their pictures were not embedded in the visa; some came with Ori Olori (someone’s visa and passport).
Therefore, It was easy for them to seek asylum because there was no fingerprint from the embassy. The information they provided at the embassy could not be verified in the host country.

GROUP 2

In comparison, the second group were those who came in the millennium (between 2000 to 2010). On the visa, the embassy embedded their picture. However, there are no fingerprints like in the first group. The information they provided when seeking asylum in Europe was undetected.

GROUP 3A

Those who are currently coming in are the third group. There is an embedded picture of you, and the embassy will collect your fingerprints. Your information from the embassy will be transmitted to the host country when your visa is issued, so you cannot seek asylum.
Several EU countries share information with their members, and you may be able to get a visa from the French embassy in Nigeria but can not seek asylum in Germany if you did because you think you can play smart. Once your fingerprint was detected, your asylum case would be closed.

The German immigration office has all information on their system before you leave Nigeria; therefore, you will receive a negative result within a short time and be advised to leave the country.

In conclusion, Living in Europe has been a great experience for me, and I am sure there will be even greater things to come! With the current situation in Nigeria, if you can dream of relocating, you can achieve it. Do your research or consult the honest people who could help you with helpful information before you leave Nigeria.

In Europe, you will learn a new language if you move to EU countries and culture and need to get used to the cold weather and food. Many people move from Nigeria to Europe because they want more opportunities for themselves and their families. Similarly, they want better education, healthcare, a higher standard of living, and more job opportunities. If you need free information on to go about it, you can drop me a message. Best of luck!