I Met 3 Migrants Trying to Cross the Border — A Conversation I Can’t Forget
Introduction
On my way to the dentist in Slovenia, I met three African men walking along the road. One was a Nigerian from the East, and the other two were from Sierra Leone.
They stopped me to ask for directions — they wanted to know how to get to the Italian border using trains or buses.
At first, I thought they were just regular travellers. But as the conversation continued, I realized what they were really trying to do: cross borders, moving from one country to another in search of better opportunities.
The Question That Changed Everything
They asked me one simple question:
“Will there be police on the way?”
That question immediately changed the tone of the conversation.
I explained that trains often have police checks, while buses might avoid some checks — but border control still exists.
Their Journey So Far
I asked where they were coming from and how long they had been in Europe.
The Nigerian man told me he had been in Europe since 2019, moving through Bosnia and Greece. Now he was trying to reach France — still without legal documents.
The two Sierra Leoneans said they were heading toward Portugal.
My Question to Them
I asked them:
“Why keep moving from country to country instead of staying in one place, working, and trying to regularize your status?”
Their answer was simple: survival.
One of them had even been in prison in Greece. He said he was only trying to survive.
My Reflection
What stayed with me was the mindset — constant movement without stability or structure.
I told him:
“If you stay in one place, work, and build yourself legally, your chances improve. Constant movement only makes your situation harder.”
He didn’t fully agree.
Final Thought
That conversation made me reflect deeply on migration.
How many people come abroad without a long‑term plan and end up stuck in survival mode instead of building stability?
That moment stayed with me.
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| A quiet zebra crossing in Koper — a reminder of how many journeys begin with a single step. |
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