Large numbers of people continue to flee conflict and instability, moving along human smuggling routes, hiding in transit cities, and getting locked up in detention centres in the process of seeking safety and asylum. This is widely known, but the human cost and intricacies of individual journeys is often hidden behind statistics and political discourse. In this article, Ali Hassan from Mogadishu, Somalia shares the story of his twoyear flight from Yemen to Sweden, illustrating the harsh conditions and dangers faced by forced migrants: the lack of food and water, the overcrowding inside vehicles or boats, the exploitation and abuse by smuggling networks, and the hostile reception from security and governmental officials. This detailed life story illustrates both the human impact of restrictive migration policies, and the problems this generates for aid workers, especially since information about the needs of forced migrants at different stages, and how and where they access assistance, is largely inadequate. By exploring how forced migrants negotiate invisibility and vulnerability, this detailed life story is an illustration of the challenges humanitarians face when responding to an unfolding crisis. © Author(s) [2016]. All rights reserved.

Advocacy Asylum Humanitarianism invisibility Smuggling

Somalia immigration policy refugee advocacy smuggling asylum seeker forced migration Sweden humanitarian aid