Why visa rejections do not halt Nigerian migrants

In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani considers why Nigerians put their lives at risk and opt for dangerous routes to Europe when they fail to get visas.

Even the official route for Africans wishing to visit the West is paved with indignity.

I still have vivid memories of my first visit to the British High Commission in Lagos a little over a decade ago.

The swarm of sweaty applicants in the unending queue, many of whom had arrived as early as 04:00.

The battalion of whispering men who besieged me as soon as I arrived, offering to manufacture whatever document I required, be it bank statements or medical reports.

The fiery brouhaha that ensued from time-to-time over a newcomer's attempt to sneak into the front of the line.

Sometimes, it was simply an enterprising tout giving room to the person who had hired him to save a place.

Not every Nigerian was cut out for the strain of standing in the open for several hours.

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