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Senegal: Crossing the vast Atlantic Ocean

Emma Wallis | Emmanuelle Landais
November 11, 2021

The Tales from the Border podcast begins in Senegal, where we look out across thousands of kilometers of the Atlantic Ocean. Europe is a very long way away. As the waves crash, migrants who have made the attempt and returned — and those who still have hope — talk about what it is like to dream of a better life in the Canary Islands and Spain.

https://p.dw.com/p/42pBY

In the first episode of Tales from the Border, various migrants tell their stories of drifting for 10 days in a pirogue in the Atlantic Ocean — passing ghost ships full of bodies and wondering if they will ever make it to land. 

Even after reaching the shore, the experiences of poverty and hardship make some wonder whether the dream was worth it. Voices from those who made it, those who were returned to Senegal, and those who haven't yet left, weave together a picture of the long and dangerous route between the west coast of Africa and the first outpost of Europe: The Canary Islands.

To subscribe and listen to the podcast on your favorite platform, follow the links here: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/2QYv4ZqRUFxHdXSL5MTvsG

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-border/id1593677734

https://deezer.com/show/3129262

Credits

Reporter: Emmanuelle Landais, Senegal

Presenter and producer: Emma Wallis

Editor: Marion MacGregor

Series Editors: Charlotte Hauswedell and Sven Pöhle

Studio Production: Gerd Georgii and Jürgen Kuhn in the DW studios

Theme Music: Chinese Man Records, France

Sounds and interviews provided: SOS Mediterranee, Flavio Gasperini, Sandy McKee, Hippolyte, DW