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If you find yourself on Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos and indeed any other street where embassies and missions of many countries are located in  the mornings of the working days, you would marvel at the number of Nigerians who seek travel documents to leave Nigeria for Europe and the Americas for the so  called greener pastures. This does not include those who pay agents to procure visas for them. People arrive these embassies as early as they can (many as early as  3.00a.m.) to queue, irrespective of the stress they subject themselves to in the process.

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The desire to “travel abroad” is further fueled by the show of opulence by those who had gone and returned home on visits, as well as tales of how “attractive” life  could be over there, compared with the daily grind here — endless traffic jams, interminable power outages, poor healthcare, etc. Aside from these, the typical  Nigerian gets carried away with the so called show of wealth in big cars and fancy clothes by the Nigerians who live abroad.

Despite the fact that not all that glitters is gold, many Nigerians do not care to know how those abroad live where they have migrated to.

Many of them have to live as refugees on meagre allowances without the authority to travel or work. Even the so called professionals do not have the right to find  commensurate jobs not alone do the work except when they have residency permit and indeed such work do not fetch enough money. Life seems very frustrating for  them that any little opportunity of a chat with them , they express this frustrations. It is one of the basic reason that some of them seek citizenship of their host  countries. But experience has shown that that is not the end of the matter as The African Courier, the International news magazine published in Germany reports that  over 80 cases of withdrawal of citizenship are currently being heard in German courts.

In the Republic of Ireland, the case is same as the cases of deportation of parents of children born in Ireland, who themselves are citizens is still running since 2003.  Barrister Celia Otubu, a foremost solicitor who has been at the forefront of these immigration cases says “ it is a stress to live in a foreign land as they do not care  about the welfare of the child so long as the parents are not naturalized. We have several cases in court here in Dublin. A judgement came in favour but the Minister is  heading for the supreme court to appeal. It is not easy to live in a foreign land as the minor offences you commit as an immigrant, become criminal while if it is  committed by an Irish, it is misdemeanor .

However a recent trip to Germany reveals that there are over one thousand Nigerians languishing in German jails for different offences, some bordering on  immigration, stealing, traffic, credit card fraud, etc Reports say that  possibilities are “that some of these cases are trumped up without iota of truth but because of the  fact that they are Nigerians,” according to Okechukwu Ikenna (not real names for obvious reasons).  As Germany continues to tighten its noose, living conditions are  getting tougher by the day for the African immigrant .

Saturday Vanguard felt the pulse of some Nigerians in Germany as they present some of the problems they face in foreign lands.

The so called mistreatment and harassment seems to know no bounds because  while those who have no papers and are not yet fully settled cry, the well established  ones also worry.

Chris Collins is the Managing Director of an International shipping company based in  Stuttgart where it is said that several Nigerian are being victimised by the Police  in the area. The regular story is that Nigerians are charged for flimsy reasons  including the fact that some one sends money to his folks in Nigeria through another.

Collins’ says his business, which  has been operating for several years now was incorporated in 1996 and employs several Germans and people of other nationalities  is threatened. He laments: “I don’t know what I have done to warrant this kind of maltreatment. For some months, the law enforcement agents have continued to treat  me with ignominy They make me feel like a nonentity. I have a flourishing business and I pay my taxes and do not do illegal business. But the German police would  storm my warehouses, remove all they think they would to cause me harm. When they come, they come with several cars, dogs and helicopters and search the entire  compound, destroying people’s property in the process. 

They make it look like I am a criminal just to demoralize me. I run a shipping company and goods and property come from different parts of Germany and are  prepared for shipping to all parts of the world. When they storm the warehouse, they destroy peoples wares and since those things are under my care, I am  compelled to pay for them. These law enforcement agents are only driven by hatred that it is an offence for a black man to be doing well and I find it very hard to  understand. If not that I am clean, they should have sent me behind bars since. The last assault was done in the most bizarre of ways. They stormed my home very  early, took me to my office and searched everywhere, harassed me for over five hours, took my laptop and seized other documents. They also took my saliva and  finger prints for tests.

They do not even bother that I am a citizen of Germany and have some rights. I want these people to leave me alone to do my honest business. I am not arguing with  them because it is their country. But they should realize that I also have rights.  It is ridiculous to see the extent at which they go to get Nigerians nailed. Sometimes  they take your photograph to inmates of the prison, promising them a reprieve if they implicate you and they quickly come and seize you and trump up some charges  and jail you. They have done that with me. But God knows that I do genuine business. I don’t have to continue to live in fear that they are coming to pick me up again  because that is the greatest pain.

“There is a recent case in point; that of a young man whose business centre was just picking up. He traveled home and returned into the waiting arms of the German  police who accused him of laundering money and jailed him for years. Now he is released after several years. Just tell me where he is going to. His business centre  has folded up  as the landlord has thrown out his property. He has no money, no place to go. You needed to see him. He just sheds tears every now and then. I  would love Germany and its police to stop these harassments because we are all human beings who are working assiduously for the development of the country.

I am not making any briefs for anyone who engages in nefarious activities. I will never do that as such people make life very miserable for us who do genuine, clear  business. The only problem we face in Germany is the racism issue which makes people treat you as if you are not a human being. If you are not doing very well, you  are a common criminal, and if you do well in business, they want to pull you down. Why should it be you, a bloody black man that is doing well. The world has gone  past this level. Racism has been over taken by events. It will be necessary for the government of Nigeria, through the ambassador to discuss these issues so that we  can live well. I see my self as an ambassador of goodwill for my country. Nigeria should tell these people to check out genuine cases of persecution and redress  them.”

Isaac Izoya who is the chief operating officer of Ehizoya Golden Entertainment e.v made up of people of different nationalities based in Berlin. His experience in his  own words:

“It is so sad that  all the things we have been doing for Germany in terms of integration for African and Germans has been misconstrued. We are an entertainment  promotion company with interest in the promotion of culture and showbiz. In the course of our activities, we brought Nigerian showbiz personalities to Germany for  integration shows. The events were attended by all African ambassadors and heads of missions. Notable Nigerian director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen and actors and  actresses like Ngozi Ezeonu, Empress Njamah, Patience Ozokwor, Aki & Pawpaw,  Jim Iyke, Victor Osuagwu, John Okafor (Mr Ibu), etc all came to Germany for  shows courtesy of Ehizoya Golden Entertainment.

These event attracted both German and African audience. We also produced films like Zero Your Mind which tries to remind Africans that they had to think well  before trying to come to Europe because it is not a bed of roses. We also produced Love in Berlin, The Meeting Point and other films which are all indicators that the  issue of racism should be a thing of the past. We were enjoying all these and creating recreation for the masses who hitherto were worried by the racial attitude of the  German people until one day the German police stormed my home while I was in Nigeria organising another show. They carted away everything in my house,  searched every nook and crany.

“According to them I was trafficking in human beings. They stormed the homes of every member of the non-governmental organisation which include whites and non  whites. The first example of racism you notice is that when it is a black member of the organization, they storm the house with over twenty police cars and helicopter  and when it is for a white member, they just invite the person over with a letter. This is pure racism. I gathered that they had written a letter to President Obasanjo  who ordered an  investigation by the ambassador, Professor Tunde Adeniran. He set up an inquiry led by Mr Atimah, a minister in the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin  who spent one year on their job and brought out their report. Even at that, the German police who stormed my house saw no incriminating evidence in the documents  they took with them and also returned them after almost a year.

“It was to my utmost dismay that they now sent me a court order summoning me to appear in court on an eight count charge of trafficking in people amongst other  charges. One of the most interesting parts of it is that they claim that Aki & Pawpaw i.e Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme are my children whom I brought into  Germany and they are still in Germany. They also claim that popular actors, Victor Osuagwu and John Okafor are also in Germany. They also talk of I go die, Sheddi  Baba. What a shame. They even calculated that my human trafficking business fetches me 1,000 Euros monthly. Just tell me how many German promoters could do  what I do for their image without sponsorship? What other forms of discrimination do you want to see when the African Ambassadors like Ambassador Zibamba of  Zambia, Ambassador Alhassan of Ghana, Baba Wakiri, Chief of Mission of Nigeria in Germany before Ambassador Adeniran was posted, Professor Haruna of  Humboldt University, Mathias Hugle of ZDF Television, all of them made positive comments about our shows?

“Why shouldn’t German police swing into action and investigate the whereabouts of these actors who even attend the shows in Germany at the expense of a very  lucrative acting career in Nigeria. Every one knows that these actors are big and rich back in Nigeria. Even if they didn’t want to return as I know that they all miss the  very popular Nollywood action which pays them more, I take everyone’s passport as they arrive and give them back to them as they want to board the aircraft as a  check. My dear, to live in Germany is a great ordeal. I have lived in Germany for several years and have been law abiding and have respect for constituted authority. I  do not involve myself with lawless matters. Why should Germany discriminate for trying to create an enabling environment to clear the racist attachment on it? Why  should the German police treat me like this? It is time the Nigerian government waded into this matter to see that genuine cases of maltreatment, racism, and other  forms of ills are redressed.”

Perhaps the most pathetic case is the case of Benjamin Okanu who is now a stateless person, derisively termed Umbekant in German. This is someone who is in  limbo. Having denounced his Nigeria passport, citizenship and ofcourse nationality, he has also lost his German citizenship due to what he alleges are trumped-up  charges. Okanu says: “I came to Germany in 1993 and got married in 1996. It was in 2000 that I decided to become a German citizen.

“As you know, we all do things to be able to be integrated into the fold. Such action make life easier for you in such a racist country. What has happened to me show  that I made a grave mistake for the choice I made in becoming a German citizen. I was accused of giving my passport to some one to work with. They also alleged I  gave false information about my background. Since this problem, I have been unable to work and life has been very miserable. Much more, my wife has left me  because the struggle has taken a toll on me. When I recall the fact that I paid a lot of money and went through hell to denounce my Nigerian citizenship, I cry.  I would  never wish this my circumstance for my enemy because it is a painful life. You are now like a refugee after several years. You can’t leave Germany, you can’t work. I  am more or less like an asylum seeker with a duldung (resident toleration permit) which is renewed every six months. After over thirteen years! I have refused to  return my German passport because they would seize it and give me the duldung instead. It is my way of protesting about the wrong doing on me even though it is  useless for me, having been cancelled on the official register.

“This matter is very complicated. I have asked about the possibility of getting back a Nigerian passport and citizenship but I am told to travel to Abuja and personally  apply to the Minister of Internal Affairs. But how can I do this when I don’t have any passport of any kind?

“I had gone to the federal constitutional court in Karlsruhe, Germany, to seek redress but the court did not give me favourable judgement. I plan to go to the  European court of Human Rights in Strasbourg but I am broke and cannot hire a lawyer now. I hope I will get fair judgement in Strasbourg. My case is a typical  example of the fact that taking German citizenship will not benefit you in the final analysis because when they no longer need you, they will take it from you. It is  difficult to keep a passport with the fear that it could be taken away from you. I want anyone who wants to dump his Nigerian passport for the German one to  beware. Think twice before what happened to me happens to you.”

However, one strange thing about this is that as they cry about the discrimination and racism in their countries of residence, none wants to return to Nigeria for any  reason, yet. One who pleaded anonymity  said: “Living as a refugee in Germany is better than living in your country where the leaders mismanage the country’s  resources. I ran out of the country because of the fact that there are no jobs and things don’t work. Common electricity power is a luxury. Where are the amenities  for you to live with? No good roads. It is only when our leaders decide to make amends in their pattern of leadership that the issue of brain drain will reduce.”