The Island of Immigrants By Sayed Baau

09:18 PM December, 20 2023

Sudanese Online
Sayed Tia Baau-
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While Babikir was having his morning coffee at his house in Sweden ,his phone rang .He picked his phone and answered the caller. The caller was his friend Showqi the chairman of Sudanese Community in Norway. After greetings. Showqi told Babikir decisively that he must come to Norway as soon as possible. Without giving Babikir to make more inquires, he asked him to go to Golden Wings Travel Agency to collect the tickets that he has already bought for Babikir as well as to book the nearest flight.
Babikir began to think about this early morning call, to think about his friend Showqi.They were friends since they were living together in the Island of Immigrants.Showqi has left the Island and went to Norway by the end of 1990 but Babikir remained in the Island till 2011.Since the two friends parted ,they never met only via telephone calls. Five days later Babikir flew to Norway.Showqi met him at the airport and picked him to house. On their way to Showqi's house,Babikir asked Showqi about this urgent trip.Showqi told Babikir to wait he will get all details tomorrow.
They reached Showqi's home. They sat down and they began to recall old days when they were living in the Island of Immigrants. Bribery is a way of life in the Island. A son never go shopping unless his father pays him .Jobs are for sale ,Generally, any action could not be finished unless money is paid .In this Island money is the real God the people of Island believe in .All visitors and new comers to the Island are targeted to be converted to believe in this God or they have to leave the Island .Among the original people of Island there also live a huge number of immigrants of different nationalities. The majority of the immigrants are Ethiopians and Somalis who war and natural disasters forced them to flee their home land.
Before Showqi said good night to Babikir,he told him that tomorrow they will visit Yousif Mahjoob, Omer Hassan and Alrayah Hassan. Babikir did not asleep all night. He was thinking about the names mentioned by Showqi. He Knows those people very well. He began to talk to himself are they really the men that have been with me in Island؟ How and When they come to Norway؟ As for as I know Yousif has passed away a long time ago before he left the Island!!!.As for Alrayah and Omer they are forced to leave the Island due to the prosecution and the systematic policy towards Sudanese .May be they are similar names to other guys؟ At last he decided to ask Showqi for more details.
In the Morning he asked Showqi if he met and saw those Sudanese .Showqi replied that he had seen them but he did not sat or talked to them. He added that he has been called by the police to discuss the case of the three men. He told Babikir that all Sudanese who arrive to Norway the first thing to do is to communicate with Sudanese community .But those men did not approached the community nor do they have any link with the Sudanese living in Norway. Any way we are going to see them. As they stated that they had come from the Island of Immigrants I contacted you and I urged you to come because you have been there too. May be you have met them or you heard about them while you were in Island.Babikir said to Showqi the names are familiar to him and belong to the persons whom he knows very well. Any way meeting those men will reveal and will answer all the questions.
Showqi put on Jalabia and a long turban then they left the house. In the road he told Babikir that the will go to the lunatic asylum first to meet Yousif then they will go to the prison to see Omer and alrayah.They reached the hospital where Yousif is kept .They are received by the manager of lunatic asylum. He offered them some tea and started telling them about Yousif.He said to them that Yousif is a Sudanese with five kids and a wife. Unfortunately he had lost his kids and his wife one after another since his arrival to Norway .The manager thinks that the dramatic loss of the his family is the main cause of his sufferings .He also told them that Yousif refused to talk to anyone since he came to the hospital. When the manager finished his orientation, he sent a nurse to bring yousif.As soon as the nurse left the office Babikir whispered on Showqi ear's{ He said this guy is not Yousif that I know.Yousif is single and have children. Yousif I know has passed away. There something wrong and strange}.
Before the coming of Yousif,the police officer who informed Showqqi about the cases of the three Sudanese arrived. The police officer shook hand with Showqi and Babikir and sat down.
Shortly, a nurse came in followed by stout man at his 45 years old. She said Yousif and the left the office. The man who assumed yousif stood up and kept looking at the men in the office. The manager asked Yousif to sit down but the man kept standing glaring at the men as if he was studying them. Suddenly he rushed into Showqi who was wearing one of the Sudanese traditional clothes and hugged Showqi tidily and burst weeping loudly. The scene in office is dominated by silence and astonishment .Showqi began to calm Yousif .After many attempts he managed to calm the man.Yousif Sat down and began to speak :
This the first time for him to speak since he was brought to the hospital. He said addressing the men in the manager's office the file before you says my name is Yousif and I am from Sudan. I bought this file .My real name is Tasfia Alam and Iam from Ethiopia I came to the Island of Immigrants in 1985 seeking protection. Since I arrived to the Island I experienced difficult situations such as arrest out the frame of law, arbitrary arrest ,blackmailing and systematic abuse .Above all the soft type of violence practiced by the agency and its partners. Because of this whirl of sufferings I decided to return home. I approached IOM office for voluntary return. The IOM Official told me to go the department of immigration to get and exist visa. The department of immigration asked me to me the fine for being living in the country without residence permit for 31 years. The fine 50 cent per day.150 dollars per month.1800 dollars per one year. How much is it for 31 years؟ The a mount of the fine is too much for me to pay. If I do not pay the fine there is no an exit visa. What to do؟Luckly or may badly, I met a translator who is called Abraham and who works with the agency. Abraham asked why looked sad and worry. I told him my story. He listened to me attentatively.When finished telling my story, he said to me that what Happened to me it also happened to many different individuals. He added that’s the policy of the agency and its partners to push the immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees back to their home countries or the other option is to look for human traffickers. I did not suffer much to find the human traffickers because they are all around the Island and near me.They are in all sectors. Government sector, agencies and NGOs.
One week later after my meeting with Abraham, the translator, I visited one of the human traffickers focal points. I am received by a guy named Waleed, I told Waleed that I want to go to Ethiopia. He said to me instead of return to Ethiopia there is a chance to go to Europe. He said he will arrange everything. He told me that I have to pay five thousands US dollars. Next day I returned to the focal point carrying the money with me .I gave Waleed the money.Waleed told me that my destination will be Norway He told me I will travel as a Sudanese guy whose name is Yousif Mahajoob.He assured me not worry because the authorities of Norway do not require face to face interview.
Within a month I left to the Island heading to Norway where I lost all my family one by one as a punishment for taking someone opportunity. I am ready for any further punishment .{He added}.When the virtual Yousif finished telling his story, a nurse came and took back his room.
The Police officer asked Babikir to provide him with more details about Alrayah and Omer the two quys who are at prison .Babikir told the police officer about the two men{their full name,their jobs, their ethnicity, tribe ,region ,town , village in Sudan and even he told him about their own languages}.The police officer wrote the information in a note book and said good bye to the manager and then left the hospital with Showqi and Babikir .They went to the prison to see Omer and Alrayah.
At the prison Showqi and Babikir were placed in a room where they can see the prisoners but the prisoners can not see them. Omer and Alrayah were brought before the police. He talked to them for about fifteen minutes and then ordered his man to take them back to their rooms. When the prisoners left the office, the police officer hurried to the room were Showqi and Babiir were waiting. He asked Babikir if the prisoners he had seen are his Sudanese friends .Babikir told him that they are not the persons whom he had lived with them in Island. Even they do not look like Sudanese.{He added.}.The police officer thanked Showqi and Babikir for their co-operation with him .Babikir told the police officer that he is leaving tomorrow morning but he can cancel his trip if he needs him for further information. The police officer thanked Babikir and told him that he can leave at once.Showqi and Babikir left the prison and drove to the house.
In the morning ,when Showqi and Babikir were at the airport, Showqi mobile rang. The caller was the police officer. He told Showqi that he had questioned the prisoners again .They confessed that they had bought the files which was belong to Sudanese whom they do not know. He added that one of the prisoners is from Nigeria and the one is from Palstine. Showqi told Babikir about what the police officer found out .Then he said good bye to Babikir wishing him a good and safety trip.

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