Migration to southern Europe has its history

World
Europe

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Europe's refugee crisis has gripped the continent over the last few years. At its height in 2015, over one million people attempted to reach Europe's shores. Many came from war-torn Syria and parts of Africa.

But migration is a normal, common occurrence the world over.

Since the 1960s, Moroccans have been making Belgium their home. Today, they make up one of the biggest ethnic communities in Belgium, accounting for over four percent of the country's population.

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But like many ethnic communities, the "homeland" is never forgotten. And whenever summer comes, many families use their vacation time to travel back to Morocco to see their extended family.

Today, that journey has been made cheaper and faster by low-cost airlines.

But over the summer, I caught up with three brothers, all Belgian-born, who had decided to make the journey all the way from Brussels to Casablanca by car.

This journey was one of nostalgia…to evoke the memories of their childhood long gone.

The undated photo shows ethnic Albanian refugees queuing before getting onto a bus after arriving at Melsbroek military airport near Brussels. /VCG Photo

All those years ago, their parents didn't have the money to buy plane tickets. Cars didn't have the mod-cons of today, plus there weren't highways. Back then, it was tough!

But this was also a journey of endurance for the brothers. Their goal was to drive non-stop for 2,700 kilometers in two days across Belgium, France and Spain, and then take the ferry from the southern port of Tarifa and cross into Morocco.

In the car, they took it in turns to drive, and sometimes sleep.

Mohammad even had an anecdote from one of the car trips from their childhood. He told me his younger brother was scared of flies. If one entered the vehicle, he would be crying and screaming. His mother too would start screaming. Mohammad would be laughing. His brother was less than thrilled to hear that story re-counted but they laughed hard.

A Syrian woman stands near a hole in the wall of a building at Bulgaria's main Harmanli refugee camp in south-central Bulgaria, April 22, 2015. /VCG Photo

And for Mohammad, this would not be his last journey. He plans to take his future children by car too. He wants to be able continue reliving this journey for the spirit of togetherness and endurance.

After I left them in Tarifa, the brothers carried on their journey, reaching their family in Casablanca. There, they observed the Muslim festival of Eid together.

They also told me something interesting. They are seen as Belgians in Morocco but as Moroccans when they are in Belgium. Perhaps that's the beauty of migration, as seen by some. One foot in two worlds. Two worlds to count as home.