“It’s not always greener on the other side” is a saying we all regard as common. But when you travel out and see the conditions of some Nigerians abroad, you’ll come to appreciate its deep meaning.

To put it bluntly, a lot of Nigerians are living through hell outsides the shores of the country. What you read on the pages of the newspaper and see on the faces of television may just be tips of the iceberg. Wait until you travel yourself, you would, to an extent, appreciate life in Nigeria.

While some have given themselves to sex-slavery and prostitution, others have become destitute, parading the streets of some developed countries as urchins. Inside factories in some developing countries, there’re hundreds of Nigerians enslaved for heavy, energy-sapping factory work. Most of them have sacrificed their life-dreams and pursuits in the chase for money.

Strikingly, many Nigerian travel-hopefuls don’t care much of what would become of their fate when they travel out. You get to hear stuff like “let me get a visa first.” After all, life isn’t any better in the country. Boko Haram is killing people, unemployment is high, the standard of living is at the tail end, etc.

Well, one can’t possibly disagree with them. They are right, the deplorable living conditions in Nigeria push people, especially the youths, away. Nevertheless, hardly will most Nigerians abroad leave Nigeria in the first place if they knew the kind of life that awaits them in those faraway countries.

We’d discuss five of those horrible experiences most Nigerians in abroad face and possible escape route to them.

Read also: Driving in Australia: All You Should Know if You Want to Migrate to Australia from Nigeria.

Street Urchins and Homeless Destitute
Mid last year, travelwahala sent 5 of their staff on a leisure trip to Dubai, Sweden, and Canada. They seized the opportunity to dig out some of the things Nigerians abroad face. To say the least, their reports were very emotional – can move one to tears.

In Dubai, they met 21 Nigerians whose shelter was the streets in major towns of the country. While only a few of them had some poor salary jobs, others depended on “daily runs to survive” as they put it. More sorrowful side to the report is that these were young men and women between the ages of 35 and 45 wasting their youthful lives.

In February last year, a story went viral of the Nigerian woman who lived and begged on the streets of Canada. She was in her late 40s. Sure, that is still fresh in our minds.

An obvious fact here is that these people were once traveling hopefuls who had high hopes when they were applying for a visa in Nigeria. They once shared the dream of making it huge in their travel destinations. Unfortunately, they met a different side of life when they departed.

Sex-Slaves and Prisoners of Prostitution
Sex-slavery is by far the most common travel misadventure of Nigerians, especially young females. Already we know Italy and Paris as hotspots for this unfortunate venture. You may be shocked if I told you that Nigerians are equally dominant in the prostitution business in some Middle Eastern countries like Dubai, Malawi, UAE, some European countries and South American countries.

You may ask what about the prostitutes operating in Nigeria. Bet you don’t want to find out how those girls fare in such a distant land? Are they into prostitution voluntarily or they’re forced? Most of them are caged in rooms and used as worthless sex-slaves while others are beaten to stupor, and on some occasions, killed.

I bet you don’t want to see what becomes the fate of some Nigerian girls in Italy. Most of them never set out of the buildings they are locked in from the day they entered. They are sold off and subjected to slavery until they work so much to pay for their freedom. Just then, they get to remember home.

Read also: 5 Critical Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Travel Abroad from Nigeria

Factory-Work Slaves with Low-Income Source
Take a trip to Dubai, Turkey, Russia, Singapore, you’ll see how most able-bodied young Nigerians have become factory machines.

Employment opportunity is a major reason most Nigerians migrate abroad. It’s a general belief that outside the country, particularly in the developed world, jobs are increasingly available. But hardly do many ask, “what kind of jobs?”

No doubt, most developed countries offer better opportunities for employment. Nonetheless, the few good-paying jobs are for immigrants with high-quality skills. While the majority of others require crude manpower especially factory work.

When you visit most of the factories in Turkey, Ukraine, Dubai, Malaysia, etc. you’ll see many Nigerians earning the hard way – with their blood. The working conditions they face in those factories, all in the bid to survive, make the situation more sorrowful. While some live in a shared-room apartment numbering 6 roommates in countries like Dubai and UAE, others face terms that enslave them for years with no too attractive pay.

Imprisoned and Tortured as Prison Inmates
Recently, one of the national dallies carried in the news that 16,500 Nigerians live in prisons in non-African countries.
That figure is just an estimation. Many others are languishing in prisons – some of them are in the death toll, awaiting execution. The offenses are on drug-related charges, internet scams, and robbery.

The fact is that these Nigerians had high hopes and plans for better lives abroad. But when they arrive at their destination countries and the reality of life in that country hits at them, some of them lose purpose and take to crimes to survive.

Granted, most Nigerians who are caught in crimes abroad already had plans for such criminal activities. But then, circumstances and harsh realities push many others to such activity.

Take a tour to China, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and even India. You’ll see for yourself how the Nigerian young population are wasting off in jail or prison.

How to Avoid Them
At the inception of our visa application counseling classes at Travelwahala, we come out a little blunt on customers with a warning that “living abroad isn’t for everyone.” This may sound a little extreme but it’s the truth. And this truth has built us over the years as one of the best travel agencies in Nigeria.

Be Certain on Your Purpose of Travel
Our experience over many years of offering visa and travel solutions to Nigerians has taught us a handful of lessons. One of them is that the sole aim that drives Nigerians to live overseas is money. And hardly do they pay attention to the very basics – vis a viz what the work they can do to earn the money.

It’s amusing that most Nigerians believe that if they leave the shores of the country, they’ll find thousands of opportunities and they will start making money immediately. Well, if you think the same way, it’s about time you changed your mind. If you’re not traveling to developing countries where the standard of living is relatively high, you should settle your mind to expect the worst. Even in those developed countries, you must work beyond necessary to earn high enough. For instance, in the US, Australia, the UK, and Germany, most Nigerians do about 2-3 shifts each day to earn. So, it isn’t entirely a bed of roses in these countries.

Learn a Skill before Planning on Getting a Visa
If you don’t want to waste your whole life suffering, please, equip yourself with good skills, especially in Tech, Medicine, Engineering and other practical skills. This is what guarantees you the life you dream of in these countries.

If you are keen on tech skills, Udemy or other tutorial platforms can build you in any of the fields you are seeking to venture into. Just be good and certified.

Each time Nigerians seeking to migrate for work purposes abroad visit consultation sessions, one of the very first things we ascertain is their readiness – how ready they are in terms of the quality of skills they have to earn instant good-paying jobs when they arrive. If they have none, we recommend it. The same should go for you.

Get a Good Travel Agency
No doubt, you can process any travel visa in Nigeria all by yourself. But the question is, does it end in obtaining a travel visa? Do you know the basics?

To successfully migrate to a country, it’s only wise you make research yourself but, most importantly, seek the help of a travel agency – or an expert. They should feed you with the right information that can guarantee you a successful relocation or migration.

At Travelwahala, we usually get people involved in the process. This will ensure they know what obtains in travel visa in Nigeria, settling and working in their destination countries.

https://travelwahala.com/5-horrible-experiences-of-nigerians-abroad-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Sorry to say but all these your five points are nonsense.Shit happens everywhere

ok

Piece of trash, straight to the bin.

.

Interesting points you got there

Nice one