Prosper is a young and ambitious student in Ghana. Today, he knows what he wants to achieve in life. But to get there, he had to go through a tough period. His story shows us how a regular migrant can turn into an irregular one; Prosper overstayed his visa in Morocco and was stranded and required support to get back on track.

“I left Ghana for Morocco on a government scholarship to study electrical engineering. I was struggling to adapt to the educational system as well as to live in Morocco, and to learn the language. After two years, I decided to change school and courses, though still in the engineering field. Unhappy with my course, I eventually quit my studies.

When nothing was going as planned anymore, I decided to come back to Ghana. I felt that to put my life back on track, I couldn't stay in Morocco. I needed to go back home to Ghana.

I reached out to the scholarship secretariat but help was not available since my scholarship was terminated, and I had overstayed my student visa in Morocco.

I found myself stranded in Casablanca; my family could not support my returning back to Ghana. It was difficult for me to break the news to my family but with time, they understood my situation.

I made some Congolese friends who housed me for about six months. After some research, I got in touch with the IOM office in Morocco and explained my situation. I was very happy when my case was accepted, and I was supported to return to Ghana.

Most people do not know my story but anytime I share it, I experience a backlash. People ask: ‘You had the opportunity to leave, and you came back? You couldn’t continue to Spain?’ I find it difficult to explain my situation but going to a country with no plan can be very frustrating.

When I got to Ghana, I contacted the IOM office and had a conversation with one of the reintegration officers. She counseled me and asked about my next steps. I told her that I wanted to go back to school.

I eventually found a course that better fits my dreams and ambitions. I picked a form at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra. I am interested in current affairs and political issues. I hope to further my education with a master’s degree in international relations and get a job.

I see myself working in the field of international relations and diplomacy. It is a dream to be a diplomat and to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an embassy.

Prosper’s return to Ghana from Morocco and his reintegration were supported by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.