Europe seems to be the best place to live in the world! Many immigrants of different countries are risking their live to settle in because of security, finance, etc. But the reality is different when they have arrived in Europe. People who are outside of Europe think Europe is safest place to live and where you can make a lot of money if you work hard, especially in West Europe or in EU countries. People forget that Europe economically is divided between rich countries of north and west of Europe and poor countries from south, central and east European countries.

Not all European countries are economically strong. That in Europe where money is falling on trees and the streets are paved with gold and everything is wonderful, it is hype. There are high unemployment, high crimes, homelessness just like some many others countries in Third World. There is not civil war in west of Europe but there is other type wars going on in Europe, financial war such as pressure of repayment of mortgages at least for 25 years plus interest, council taxes and others bills on top that we call it debt war. Where, when you go to bed you are thinking if I lose my job, probably I will lose everything include my family. In Europe, they want you to believe that you own things but in reality you don't own anything because everything are in finance such as your house, car, etc except if you are rich then you could own things. Even the rich people in Europe they are hiring expensive accountants to help them to hide their money and to avoid paying high taxes.

Homeless person on streest of Paris-France

If you visit big cities in Europe such as London, Paris, Madrid or Roma, you would see there are so many homeless people in streets include immigrants. There are lot of pressure on poorest Europeans who can't afford to pay their bills. In addition, Food bank shops in England are doubling because more people now depending on charities food despite some of customers of food bank shops are working but their wages are not enough to support themselves. 1/4 millions people surviving on food handhouts in Britain, 27 Anglican bishops can't understand that people can be going hungry in the world's seventh riches country. They say that 500,000 people have visited food banks since Easter last year, 5,500 have been admitted to hospital with malnutrition and 20% of mothers are skipping meals to better feed their children

Even in place like Germany that it has the biggest economy in euro zone but more the one million and half people are depending on food bank.People might say that in Europe there is no famine in contrast to some Third World countries. Yes, the government created system where people can have something to eat to stop them for revolting but we saw the rioters in Greece, Portugal, Spain even in England because people are not happy with their financial situations.

People when they see an European outside Europe they believe he/she is rich, not true it just like others immigrants, they're move out of Europe to go to place like in Africa or South America or Asia looking for better life and running away for the stress of live in Europe.

There are so many immigrants who are leaving Europe they are going back to their homes such as Africans and Asians because in Europe you may be feel secure, you may be not die of hunger or you have 24/7 electricity but when gas and electricity bills come you feel like you want to run away. Also Europe could be very lonely place, especially when you're getting older just ask some many English or European pensioners why they're migrated in place like Thailand!Moreover, Care homes for eldely could be one of worse place to be when you're old in Europe, lot of old people suffered abuses from members of staffs in care homes.

Don't fool yourself when people are talking how great Europe is! Especially immigrants are suffering for many things included racism specially in poorest countries in Europe, low pay jobs and so many times their families back home are wondering why my son went to live in great place like Europe but he still not able to send money back home! Because the majority of immigrants who arrived in Europe, they fail to achieve their goals at end most of immigrants who spend more than 20 years in Europe they are more luckily to go back to their own countries where they feel not lone and then the one who stayed and get old and die in Europe because they wasted all the youth in Europe, partying, they didn't prepare themselves for their old ages that reason that they don't go back home. Most old people in Europe if they don't have a lot of money they are more luckily to be dump in elderly houses or care homes and alone that why most elderly immigrants prefer to go back to their countries where they can be surround with their family members and far away from cold temperature of Europe.

bigest Riot in England in 2011- London rioters

There are some positives things about Europe such as education system, no civil wars or famine but also there are a lot of negatives things that the West medians do not show in rest of world like they show about third world countries specially Africa. If you're young it is could be a good place to be because you can get education, freedom of expression, human rights, partying, etc. but also you could be involved in drugs,gangs and you are still living constantly under stress to not lose your job.

People are living like robots in Europe, even included people who have high pay jobs and some of these people in Europe, they rely on alcohol and others illegal substances to beat their stresses. Then one who are depending on benefit system because they can't find job or they are on lower wages are also under pressure to pay their bills, in place like in England lot of unemployed people spend their time in bookies or gambling places it becomes like their office place. They can't stay home because it's too cold they can't afford to open the heating, it is too expensive to get warm then they go to bookies to get warm and gambling little money they have to have chance to win something. The most of bookies shops are situated in poorest areas in Europe because they know that these people they don't have job more luckily to spend their time in bookies shops.

Chris Swanepoel illegal for 20 years in UK

If you come to Europe, you better be very focus about your plans and if you lose your concentration you will be punish when you get older. Because Europe can betray you specially if you're immigrant, you're in a good European country where institutions respect human right, food are available and a roof where to stay then you believe everything is perfect here. By the time you realised it's not perfect it could may be after 2 or 3 decades by then you're old. Look in case of A man who has been living in the UK as illegal for 20 years says he is now desperate to return to South Africa.

Chris Swanepoel, 44, came to England in 1994 on a fake passport. Mr Swanepoel, who has spent much of the past two decades in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire and Now he's trying return to his own country with only a small bag because after years of sleeping in streets in England and a government clampdown on illegal immigrants had reduced his opportunities.

Chris even contact immigration in UK to deport him, "I've tried everything the last few days to get in touch with immigration to try and get me out. I've had absolutely no help other than 'you'll have to wait, you'll have to wait'."

If you look where there are happiest people in World more luckly they will be the third world countries and not in Europe. Europe is not paradise.

I did spend 30 years in Europe now I'm back home in Ghana and happy.
By Keth

Your comments

Europe is in declining. Every empire there's always the end. European governemments are still fighting hard to show that europe still very attractive place to live in reality is not true.
John , Nigeria, London

My friend his parents send him to study in nigeria because they believed the Education system there is better. He came to London for holiday to see his parents after one week he was shot dead in Hackney in London. Now where more safe in streets of Nigeria or in London!
Micheal , England,London

In Africa people still believe that Europe is paradise. Thanks for your post Keth.
Ole , Nigeria, Lagos

East or West home is best.Africa is a paradise i wonder people who flock to Europe for a green pasture.The life in Europe is so expensive as compared with Africa.Europe is a place good only for tourism but not a place to live
DAUDI AMIRI MBAGA , TANZANIA

The illusion and allure of Europe will soon be gone. good I say yet still you have to look deeper as to why these people are destroying their own countries ? could it be that they no longer have affiliations to one country because they now consider themselves to be globalists and you sheep are all the same the world over! and if your not don't worry we gonna make YOU ALL THE SAME, POOR slaves
Gary Walker , london

Why on earth does anyone on the continent of Africa think about whether Europe is better than Africa, as a place to live? Who is fooling who with this senseless question? Is the question just for the sake of it or something to be taken serious? Is this question serving as a means for us to sustain the African lawlessness and underdeveloped ways of doing things or something else? Pls, lets think!!!
Kofi Ali , UK

Europe is not paardise but in my mind it is the greatest place to get an education after afrika. so young people when you get to europe the purpose of going is to improve oneself and get higher working and educational opportunities. surely the paying salaries are higher in europe than some african countries and that is the lure of europe to many africans. Europe canada and australia are easier.
james bedu kojo graham , ghana accra

Americans makefun of europe as the old continent but she is the central point of western civilzation and thanks to her the west will have security. it is about time for Europe created her armed forces and left nato because the americans and canadians are to domineering in the alliance. Like I said too many africans go to europe as beggars and do not plan to achieve something in their lives.coz
james bedu kojo graham , ghana accra

Coz so many guys and girls in europe just want to live on welfare payments and handouts of european governemnts. welfare is good for a while but one thing is certain after a period of time it is high time to find a payinh job within the european sphere. teaching jobs and depending on your qualificationone is bound to find good opportunities within the euro zone.the euro is quite stable at the mo
james bedu kojo graham , ghana accra

My strongest advice to young people is to get the best education possible within afrika even to masters or doctorate levels and then you may move to europe for working experience. however that will depend on the expectations you have on your options of success within the european sphere of education and employmet market.thus I am not a basher of europe coz I see something positive about the conti
james bedu kojo graham , ghana accra

Really, migration is the worst crime on humanity. It doesn't matter if one's from Mexico to USA or Africa to the Western world. The best thing is to be educated at home, and work at home to make home better for oneself as well as the generation to come. Fight corruption, and work hard where you're born than serving ex-colonizers. Look at Ethiopia, great example, every citizen is moving back! Peace
Wondwossen , USA

First of all, we all want a better life and went push to the wall. Some of us prevail, while the rest fail. People create their problems. The illusion we get from others is ''that the grass is greener on the other side'' we will always be like this. Wondwossen from USA don't forget the US was built from/of immigrants.
Wuo , Liberia

Wondesson part one is where you and I agree but on the second count wuo from liberia is right. immigrants have done wonders to all receiving countries including the usa. despite this I sense a tale of xenophobia rising in america conpared to europe as many americans fell threathened by the influx of migtants in terms of locations jobs and opportunities. america is great but is racism gone for g
james bedu kojo graham , togo lome

with the condition in Africa ,it is better to travel out to see that money does not grow on trees, you have to work harder to make a leaving, Africa is better, but the corrupt leaders had mess up the whole countries.God will take control,fingers x.
omo oye , lndon

I like your pictorials. But be advised, you'd do better to program your site to have a rolling collage of pictures. Also, it would be good if you added video so that we can see the people in action, in their daily lives. I know that your website is relatively small. Try to get more people to invest in it. Africa is the second largest continent on the planet.Europe wouldn't survive without it!
Renard Atkins , USA

There is no doubt that Europe has some of the world's best education,health and other facilities and a relatively high quality of living. However the cost of living in these countries is quite high and without a decent income one can't really enjoy life. For European citizens themselves they have a good welfare system even for the unemployed but who looks after the immigrants?
Pontiff , Hangzhou, China

Since the 20th century there has been massive movement of people goods ideas between the continents especially between europe and africa. Both sides have gained f4om the relationship and therefore let me add that as long as there are a lot of economic social and poitical greybareas on the continent all manner i0of africans will migrate to europe in order to get the opportunity to change their ci
jonathan kwapong , ghana accra

On the flip side the arrival of black afriv0cans en masse has not plessed all europeans especially thosebon the extreme right and innmany eurooean countries fascist and neonazi behaviours among the populace especially young teenagers and children may result in highercbehaviour of racism and xenophobia towards foreigners be they africans arabs jews or any other group not found hist.in europe....
james koj8 graham , ghana accra

Further immigrants especially Africans will always be viewed as outsiders and getting jobs is a problem even for the qualified ones. It really depends for some people they don't mind living in Europe and being treated as second class citizens. As for me I have a lot of pride and I want to live life happily person without being harassed, ridiculed looked down upon. I will return to my mother land.
Pontiff , Hangzhou, China

I am currently studying in China and even here too we blacks/Africans are somewhat treated with contempt and condescending attitudes. China is a great place more developed than most African countries but as I have said I have a lot of pride and I will be going back to live in "poverty' in my motherland. Not staying here.
Pontiff , Hangzhou, China

Pontiff thanks for sharing your experience in china.despite the high advancement of the chinese state you seem to be sayi g you experienced some elements of xenophobia and racism. in asia the problem is that very few of them have seen black people as compared to europeans and therefore the racism directed towards us is much more pronounced than in usa israel europe and the rest of the world.
james bedu kojo graham , ghana accra

However the good news is that exchanges between asia and africa will improve more in the years to come especially in all spheres of endeavour and it is imperative that a special sporting event the afro asian games be set up to augment the bilateral links.moreover countries like singapore brunei durasallam malaysia and indonesia ought to set up full embassies in ghana and west afrika in general.
James Bedu Kojo Graham , Ghana Accra

I think many youth have been deceived, day and night they plan to live in Europe hopping that it is a small paradise. turning to the reality Europe is not a paradise, there are many challenge. therefore African Governments should offer holistic education to their youths in order that they may not go astray
Yohana S. Dutuyi , Tanzania

Just off the record a Chinese student in my university just came back from a 1 week vacation in the US. He said it's not all what he expected. The media is a very powerful tool and in most cases does not provide the complete picture.
pontiff , Hangzhou

The number of westerners coming to China to look for opportunities is growing by the day. Some are coming to teach English, others to work in the entertainment industry especially women and so on. I am pretty sure some 20 years ago or so this was unimaginable. There are even Portuguese now going going to Angola and Brazil for employment.
pontiff , Hangzhou

TODOS ESTAN EQUIVOCADOS. . .LO MEJOR ES EUROPA PARA ESTUDIAR, VIVIR, DIVERTIRSE, ETC. Y LO SUPER MEJOR EN MUNCHEN, ALEMANIA. BYE
alex , mexico

I am very happy to see the Comments listed above and I am ready to make out of myself. For some Unknown Reasons Westerners are moving towards the Chinese State for their salvation and expectation. In strong Reality,the Topic should be about the United States and the Potentials that it can offer or disoffer. I am very much concerned about the wrong indication. Europe should not be bashed.
James Bedu Kojo Graham. , Ghana Accra