Various profiles of young people leave Guinea in search of their well-being. They often justify their departure by the lack of employment and unfavorable living conditions in the country. On the way, some encounter enormous difficulties and opt to return home. This is the case of Mamadou Barry, a driver by profession who shares his story to Dialogue Migration.

Mamadou Barry is a young Guinean who works as a truck driver. After mastering his craft, he decided to find a paid job in the Guinean capital, with no success. This lack of employment leads the young driver to leave his country of origin in search of a better life. 

This is how he chose to go to other countries to “seek happiness”, according to him.  With the little savings he had, he took the direction of Côte d’Ivoire.  It was in this neighboring country of Guinea that he found work in the area of transport.

Since the activities were not frequent, he continued his way to Algeria in the hope of a better job. This, in order to save and continue to Libya, then Italy, his final destination.

Arriving in Algeria, the young driver was hired for a short time. Despite getting this job, he was not treated properly, because according to him, he was often segregated in the background in the exercise of his profession. The conditions were deplorable for the young driver, he testified.

Never mind, with the few resources in his hands, he moves again to go to Libya. Upon his arrival in this unstable country, since the fall of Muhammar Gaddafi, Mamadou was arrested and convicted. With difficulty, he regained his freedom.

On his release from prison, he turned back to Algeria despite the very complicated living conditions for migrants, especially sub-Saharan migrants. He will spend six years in Algeria, working in very harsh conditions, facing segregation, imprisonment…

“We only slept with one eye, each time we had to be ready not to be caught by the Algerian police. We lived with fear in our stomachs,” he said.

A new beginning driven by regime change

Given all this suffering, Mamadou opted for a return to the country, after the National  Committee of the Rally for Development (CNRD) seized power through a coup d’état on September 5, 2021: “I had learned that there was a change of regime and that there would now be work opportunities. That’s why I decided to go back to Guinea. I will no longer be in Algeria. » 

This regime change came at the right time, because young Barry was totally desperate. “I lost all my savings when I failed my crossing to Libya. I came home empty-handed with no financial resources. Fortunately, I turned around with support from the International Organization for Migration.”

Back since March 28, 2023, Mamadou finds life better than elsewhere currently: “I can say thank God. My parents have not abandoned me, they have supported me a lot since my return to the country, especially morally. Because everyone was happy that I came back, I had suffered too much. »