Journey to the West: Afghan Immigrants in Greece

To outsiders who learned about the predicament of Afghan immigrants in Greece from documentaries, it is an anti-climactic end to arduous and dangerous journeys that span thousands of kilometers. Many leave their hometowns in search of better lives for them and their families only to find that the “promised land” of Europe is not what they have envisioned in their minds. In an attempt to conserve their savings, many stay in rooms of 10-20 people each when they are originally built to accommodate less than 5 people. Many are unable to find jobs and as their hard-earned savings dwindle, begin to sleep along pedestrian walkways. This is of course besides the issue that many are subjected to discriminatory treatments by the Greeks, who quite rightfully argue that these immigrants are creating social problems in their cities. The question is considering the close tribal relationships among these immigrants, why is it that their predicaments have not slowed down the desire to make the journey to the west?

One possibility is that these immigrants who managed to enter Greece have not been entirely honest with their families and friends back in Afghanistan. I recalled an immigrant interviewed for a documentary who said that he had been sleeping on the streets but was reluctant to tell his family the truth because he was ashamed to do so. To give the impression that he had made it, he actually sent a photo of himself with a luxury car which he claimed was his.

Even if one is to be honest to his family back in Afghanistan, one wonders if it will lead would-be immigrants to think twice before making the journey. After all, the living conditions at home are so dire that one considers it unfathomable that wealthy Europe can be any worse. Rational thinking probably lead to them thinking that life will be better and in a worst-case scenario, cannot be worse. Unless the situation in Afghanistan improves dramatically, the uncertainty in Europe ironically seems to give better odds than staying put at home.