 Dispatches:
Living with Illegals
Channel 4: 27th March 8 pm
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with Illegals (DVD)
In "Living with Illegals", award-winning journalist Sorious Samura
becomes an illegal immigrant. His journey is epic as he travels from
Morocco into Europe through Spain and France, finally crossing the
English Channel to Britain. Samura wants to understand the reality of
being an illegal immigrant, so he lives in the exact same conditions
and experiences the same gruelling hardships as his companions.
The story begins in Northern Morocco, where hundreds of illegal
immigrants live in forests waiting for their chance to break into the
enclave of Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Africa. For them, Europe means
work: "I am ready to do any kind of job. If I have to I’ll wash the
toilets, bathrooms or train stations and I’ll be very happy. Forget I
am a graduate".
All that separates them from Ceuta and Europe is a 50 km, 6 m fence,
around which they camp. Huddled together in cold, flimsy tents and
hounded by daily police raids, the immigrants struggle to survive with
no food, money or peace of mind, but their determination to reach the
promised land is unyielding.
Samura meets Gus and Theo who have decided to swim around the fence and
thus into Europe, an extremely dangerous method of entry which many
have paid for with their lives. The next day news arrives that only
Theo made it to other side. Gus was captured. Samura leaves the
Moroccan forest and meets with Theo in Ceuta. Together they try to earn
some money parking cars. Samura soon discovers a derelict factory known
as the "Longhouse" where those on the run from immigration authorities
live. The conditions are horrifying. For these people, the dream of
Europe has already turned into a nightmare.
Samura travels through several cities of mainland Spain where he begs,
sleeps rough, performs odd jobs and learns inside tricks to survive as
an immigrant. He encounters Thommy, a stranger of amazing generosity,
who helps him raise money to continue his journey. He also meets people
who try to con him out of his earnings. The world of the newly arrived
immigrant, Samura soon learns, has at least as many pitfalls as
ladders.
Through a "connection man", Samura crosses the Spanish/ French border,
and onwards by train he reaches Calais. This is the hub for all
immigrants trying to enter the UK. Samura is surprised to find living
conditions and scenes of desperation as bad as those in Morocco. Arick,
a Sudanese immigrant, explains: "Every second, every minute I am trying
to get to England. At least in London they treat you like a human
being". That night, Samura and Arick break into a lorry heading for the
UK. Once inside they must stay completely still, but after an hour of
waiting they are caught and arrested.
In the end, through astonishing circumstances, both Sorious and Arick
do reach their final destination. It has been an incredible journey,
but was all the suffering really worth it?
'Living with Illegals' is one of this year's most extraordinary
documentaries. Offering unprecedented access and unique insights into
the world of African illegal immigration, it raises important questions
about the rights of individuals to seek a better life free of poverty
and war.
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