Africans (illegal immigrants) tell of harrowing voyages to Europe - by Mar Roman
EL FRAILE, Canary Islands -- Masse Diop says he kept his eyes closed and tried to sleep during his perilous four days at sea, crammed against the side of an aging fishing boat with 25 other African migrants who hoped the wind and sea would bring them to the promised land of Europe - and not a watery grave. Diop, from Cameroon, and his companions managed to survive the 600-mile journey from the northern Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou to Spain’s Canary Islands, just off Africa’s west coast. But about 1,000 others have died attempting the trip since November 2005, according to the Red Crescent Society in Mauritania. Despite the danger, desperation and the lure of an escape from grinding poverty have kept the choppy seas full of people like Diop.
"I came here to earn my living and secure a future for my family," said Diop, in a soft, faltering voice, fidgeting with his sunglasses and his black cap.
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